During the 19th century, American leaders kept an eye on Nicaragua as a potential site for a transoceanic canal. US Navy warships periodically arrived at Nicaraguan ports to protect American interests and fostered U.S. business investments under the strong-man rule of President José Santos Zelaya. When Zelaya began courting Europeans for the building of a canal and welcomed European business investments, American leaders called Zelaya a tyrannical, self-serving, brutal, and a greedy disturber of Central American peace. In December 1926, President Calvin Coolidge ordered warships and more US Marines to Nicaragua. He told Congress that “disturbances and conditions in Nicaragua seriously threaten American lives and property, [and] endanger the stability of all Central America.” This resulted in the Sandino War that cost the lives of an estimated 3000 Nicaraguans and 136 US Marines.
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“Yankee Imperialism 1901-1934”; United States Foreign Policy; [ Ссылка ]
“The Sandino Rebellion 1927-1934”; photos from the US National Archives; [ Ссылка ]
“Life and Death of an Activist: ‘Wild’ Bill Grandall"; Stephan Braun; Los Angeles Times; April 13, 1991; [ Ссылка ]
Related Tale: “US Marines Seized Panama in 1903”; [ Ссылка ]
Related Tale: “American Invasions of the Dominican Republic”; [ Ссылка ]
TAGS:
Nicaraguan history
US Navy history
US Marine Corps history
Banana wars
José Santos Zelaya
American imperialism
Central America history
Adolfo Díaz
General Somoza
Sandino
Sandinista
Bill Grandall
Nicaragua canal
Marine aviation
