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The Truman Administration's Response to the Costa Rican Revolution of 1948 and the Costa Rica-Nicaragua Crisis of 1948-1949

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The Truman Administration's Response to the Costa Rican Revolution of 1948 and the Costa Rica-Nicaragua Crisis of 1948-1949 Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons History Theses & Dissertations History Spring 2020 Peaceful Collaboration: The Truman Administration's Response to the Costa Rican Revolution of 1948 and the Costa Rica-Nicaragua Crisis of 1948-1949 James Wilkerson Old Dominion University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/history_etds Part of the Latin American History Commons, Latin American Studies Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Wilkerson, James. "Peaceful Collaboration: The Truman Administration's Response to the Costa Rican Revolution of 1948 and the Costa Rica-Nicaragua Crisis of 1948-1949" (2020). Master of Arts (MA), Thesis, History, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/0hvp-sg88 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/history_etds/43 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the History at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in History Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PEACEFUL COLLABORATION: THE TRUMAN ADMINISTRATION’S RESPONSE TO THE COSTA RICAN REVOLUTION OF 1948 AND THE COSTA RICA-NICARAGUA CRISIS OF 1948-1949 by James Wilkerson B.A. May 2018, Old Dominion University A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER’S OF ARTS HISTORY OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY May 2020 Approved by: Robert H. Holden (Committee Director) Timothy J. Orr (Committee Member) John Weber (Committee Member) ABSTRACT PEACEFUL COLLABORATION: THE TRUMAN ADMINISTRATION’S RESPONSE TO THE COSTA RICAN REVOLUTION OF 1948 AND THE COSTA RICA-NICARAGUA CRISIS OF 1948-1949 James Wilkerson Old Dominion University, 2020 Director: Dr. Robert H. Holden Before, during, and after the Costa Rican Revolution of 1948 and the Costa Rica- Nicaragua Crisis of 1948-1949, the Truman Administration maintained a posture of strict neutrality and helped to isolate, and bring a quick end to, both conflicts. This thesis attempts to revise the historiography of the Costa Rican Revolution by challenging the common view that the United States inaugurated the Cold War in Latin America by facilitating the overthrow of the communist-supported government in Costa Rica. The Truman Administration did not care who won and only wanted the Revolution and Crisis to come to a quick end. The United States’ response to the Costa Rican Revolution and the Costa Rica-Nicaragua Crisis was consistent with its broader hemispheric policy of promoting peaceful collaboration among the American republics in order to convince the Soviet Union that the Western Hemisphere was united against international communism. iii Copyright, 2020, by James Fredrick Wilkerson, All Rights Reserved. iv This thesis is dedicated to the 2017-2018 Old Dominion University baseball teams. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Robert H. Holden for his immense amount of patience and for his answering of my many, many annoying questions during this past year. His availability and guidance throughout the writing of this thesis have been tremendously invaluable, and his rich knowledge of Central American military and political history was a bottomless well from which I could draw relevant information. I owe many thanks to Professors Timothy J. Orr and John Weber, who are on my thesis committee, and who have edited this manuscript. I have attended multiple classes and seminars held by each professor, and both have significantly influenced my writing. I am truly lucky to have had such a gifted and knowledgeable committee. Dr. Maura Hametz, currently the Director of the History Department at James Madison University, was a central figure behind making this thesis happen. Had it not been for her recruiting me into the graduate program, this manuscript would not exist. Dr. Hametz gave me direction and motivation during a transitional period in my life, and for that I owe her my deepest gratitude. My friends at the Douglas MacArthur Memorial, Amanda Williams, Jim Zobel, Corey Thornton, Ursula Miles, Christopher Kolakowski, and Colonel William Davis, offered me an excellent opportunity to work in public history during graduate school, and they are genuinely great people to be around. Their kindness and generosity motivated me throughout the writing of this thesis. I would also like to extend my many thanks to all the other professors whose graduate seminars I attended at Old Dominion University, namely Professors Elizabeth Zanoni, Megan vi Nutzman, and Brett Bebber. Their tremendous guidance and wisdom have helped hone my research and writing abilities immensely. The Old Dominion University Perry Library and Inter-Library Loan Office have been unbelievably helpful, and the ILL staff never failed to deliver once. I would also like to thank the National Archives and Records Administration for offering their excellent services and for giving me access to valuable primary sources that are presented throughout this thesis. Members of my cohort, Alec, Brad, Cara, Kaleigh, Kevin, Jessica, and Victoria, deserve special thanks and recognition for putting up with my annoying and endless conversations on imperialism, Marxism, and postmodernism. Their encouragement and input are greatly appreciated. Finally, I would like to thank my parents, Charlotte and James, for proofreading my rough, rough drafts and for helping me polish my arguments. Their patience and thoughtful recommendations during four-hour phone conversations on Sundays gave this thesis organization and clarity. My grandmother, Nan, deserves special recognition for motivating me through rough moments in graduate school. My aunt and uncle, Melanie and John, offered me a home away from home while I lived in Virginia, and their generous hospitality will not be forgotten. Lastly, my siblings, Doc, Sarah, and Katie, have been tremendously helpful throughout the course of writing this thesis. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................1 CENTRAL ARGUMENT ...................................................................................................4 METHODOLOGY AND INTERPRETIVE PREMISES ...................................................9 CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER BREAKDOWN ....................................................................11 I. SETTING THE STAGE: U.S.-COSTA RICAN RELATIONS IN 1947 ................................14 THE UNITED STATES’ APPRAISAL OF THE OPPOSITION .....................................15 THE UNITED STATES’ APPRAISAL OF THE PRN ....................................................25 THE UNITED STATES’ APPRAISAL OF THE PVP .....................................................33 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................40 II. “LOCALIZING” THE COSTA RICAN REVOLUTION OF 1948 .......................................41 BRACING FOR THE REVOLUTION .............................................................................46 LOCALIZING THE REVOLUTION ................................................................................51 ENDING THE REVOLUTION .........................................................................................61 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................66 III. PROMOTING PEACEFUL COLLABORATION: THE UNITED STATES’ RESPONSE TO THE COSTA RICA-NICARAGUA CRISIS OF 1948-1949 ..........................................68 THE ARMS QUESTION ..................................................................................................69 PVP: A NEW THREAT ....................................................................................................73 SOMOZA AND THE CALDERONISTAS ......................................................................77 FIGUERES AND THE CARIBBEAN LEGION ..............................................................79 THE DISSOLUTION OF THE COSTA RICAN ARMY AND THE COSTA RICA- NICARAGUA CRISIS ......................................................................................................84 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................94 IV. “WAGING PEACE IN THE AMERICAS”: THE TRUMAN ADMINISTRATION’S HEMISPHERIC DEFENSE PLAN .......................................................................................96 CLANDESTINE COMMUNISM: “THE RISKS OF MERE SUPPRESSION” ..............97 THE ARMS QUESTION ................................................................................................103 RESOLUTION XXXV AND PEACEFUL COLLABORATION ..................................106 TRUMAN’S HEMISPHERIC DEFENSE PLAN AND THE NEW THREAT ..............110 viii Page CONCLUSION: COLD WAR INTERVENTION IN LATIN AMERICA – TRUMAN’S LEGACY?........................................................................................................................112 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................115 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................120 VITA ............................................................................................................................................125
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