The United States' Strategy In Central America And The Signing Of Byran-chamorro Treaty (1898-1914)

As a part of Latin America, Central America played a significant role in America's expansion, especially since the Big Stick came on. The Caribbean Sea that located on the western part of Atlantic rendered the Central isthmus has very vital interest, commercial or strategic in transportation. In the middle of the nineteenth century, it became the focus of the conflict of between the United States and Britain for the purpose of controlling the isthmus to construct a canal. In 1850, by the signing of the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, both of the two governments jointly guranteed the neutrality of digging a canal in the future, by means of which they achieved the balance of power in Central America. On April 3th, 1853, when he took office, president Pierce declared that the United States in no way allowed any foreign powers to interfere in or colonize Central America, which is the first time that the United States extended the Monroe Doctrine into Central America. In order to break up the balance of power and dig a canal controlled only on its own, after several unsuccessful attempts, finally on Nov. 18th, 1901, the United States and Britain signed Hay-Pauncefote Treaty, in which Britain agreed the United States can freely construct, control and defend proposed isthmus canal. Meanwhile, the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty was abolished, and the obstacle that the United States dominated exclusively the isthmus canal was cleared out. Nicaragua as a country of Central America, by virtue of its geographical position, its territory connects Atlantic and Pacific, in which there are Nicaragua Lake and San Juan River, it is more convenient to construct a interoceanic canal, so it became another choice that the United States sought for the location of a canal. In the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century, the United States'power inceased greatly, and its advantage in the Central America was more predominately. But at the time, national disturbances took place in Nicaragua on account of internal politics, on the pretext of which the United States sent forces to interfere and foster its agent. In order to relieve Nicaraguan financial crisis, the United States and Nicaragua signed Dawson Agreement, by which Nicaragua obtained so called"economic assistance"of one and a half million dollars from the United States, but it gave its customs duty to the United States. In 1912, Nicaraguan people again started the uprising against its government. On the pretext of protecting its citizen's lives and property, President Taft sent warships and forces into Nicaragua, later on the uprising was seriously suppressed. In Aug.5th, 1914, the United States and Nicaragua signed the Byran-Chamorro Treaty.The United States not only obtained the perpetual right of constructing a canal in Nicaragua on its own, but also leased the Gulf of Fonseca and the Great and Little Corn Islands of Carribean Sea as its military base/station for 99 years, while Nicaragua only obtained three million dollars'reward. But the United States'force was gradually withdrawn from Nicaraguan territory until 1925.During the period that the Big Stick of Theodore Roosevelt and Dollar Diplomacy of Taft were alternately adopted, the United States primarily realize its strategic object.This paper makes the means of history and international politics'comprehensive research,holds historical materialism and dialectical materialism, adopts international political theories, such as national interest, geopolitics and so on. Moreover, it depends on the diplomatic files of the government of the United States, studies the United States'strategic choice in Central America and adopted the policy to Nicaragua in the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century in order to reveal the United States'interest in Central America and see through Central America's importance to the United States.This paper is divided into three parts: The first part summarizes South strategy during the adminstration of Theodore Roosevelt and the contention between the United States and Britain in Central America, including: the United States'interest in Central America; the conflict of the United States and Britain and the signing of the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty. The second part particularly elaborates the background of the signing of the Byran-Chamorro Treaty and its major content, including: the consideration of the United States on a Nicaraguan canal; the United States'policy toward Nicaraguan Revolution; Byran-Chamorro Treaty's course and its major content.The third part analyzes Byran-Chamorro Treaty, including: the United States basically realizes its object of Central America, the United States obtained the"perpetual"right of digging a canal in Nicaragua; Nicaragua became the"protoctor"of the United States; its signing strengthens the United States'position in Central America.