In 'The Banana Wars,' Lester D. Langley delves into the tumultuous history of the United States' involvement in Central America during the early 20th century, driven by the thirst for power and profit. Centering on the banana trade, Langley unearths the controversial interventions that shaped the region and left a lasting impact on its people. The narrative reveals the dark underbelly of corporate influence intertwined with American foreign policy, raising questions about morality and consequences. With vivid storytelling and meticulous research, Langley invites readers to explore how a seemingly simple fruit played a pivotal role in international relations. Discover the intricate dance of economics, politics, and ethics that defined an era, and reconsider the true legacy of the Banana Wars.
By Lester D. Langley
Published: 2002
"The true cost of ambition is often measured in the currency of chaos, as the desire for control can unravel the very fabric of nations."
The Banana Wars: United States Intervention in the Caribbean, 1898-1934 offers a sweeping panorama of America's tropical empire in the age spanned by the two Roosevelts and a detailed narrative of U.S. military intervention in the Caribbean and Mexico. In this new edition, Professor Langley provides an updated introduction, placing the scholarship in current historical context. From the perspective of the Americans involved, the empire carved out by the banana warriors was a domain of bickering Latin American politicians, warring tropical countries, and lawless societies that the American military had been dispatched to police and tutor. Beginning with the Cuban experience, Langley examines the motives and consequences of two military occupations and the impact of those interventions on a professedly antimilitaristic American government and on its colonial agents in the Caribbean, the American military. The result of the Cuban experience, Langley argues, was reinforcement of the view that the American people did not readily accept prolonged military occupation of Caribbean countries. In Nicaragua and Mexico, from 1909 to 1915, where economic and diplomatic pressures failed to bring the results desired in Washington, the American military became the political arbiters; in Hispaniola, bluejackets and marines took on the task of civilizing the tropics. In the late 1920s, with an imperial force largely of marines, the American military waged its last banana war in Nicaragua against a guerrilla leader named Augusto C. Sandino. Langley not only narrates the history of America's tropical empire, but fleshes out the personalities of this imperial era, including Leonard Wood and Fred Funston, U.S. Army, who left their mark on Cuba and Vera Cruz; William F. Fullam and William Banks Caperton, U.S. Navy, who carried out their missions imbued with old-school beliefs about their role as policemen in disorderly places; Smedley Butler and L.W.T. Waller, Sr., U.S.M.C., who left the most lasting imprint of A
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“The true cost of ambition is often measured in the currency of chaos, as the desire for control can unravel the very fabric of nations.”
The Banana Wars
By Lester D. Langley
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Lester D. Langley is a distinguished author and historian known for his comprehensive explorations of American history and international relations. Among his notable works are 'The Americas in the Modern Era' and 'The United States and the Global Economy,' which reflect his expertise in the evolution of U.S. foreign policy and its impact on global dynamics. Langley's writing is characterized by its clarity, analytical depth, and engaging narrative style, making complex historical themes accessible to a broad audience. With a career spanning several decades, he has contributed significantly to the scholarly understanding of America's role in world affairs.
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