From Empire to Hegemony: The Dynamics of U.S. Relations wi# Cuba and Mexico, 1930-1 940 Carl Fournier A Thesis in The Department of History Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada copyright Cari Fournier, 2001 National Library Biblioaiéque nationale 1*1 ofCanada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services senrices bibliographiques The author has granteci a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence dowing the exclusNe permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Cana& de reproduce, loan, distn'bute or seil reproduire, prêter, distriiuer ou copies of this thesis in rnicrofonn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or elecîronic formats. la forme de microfiche/flilm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qai protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otheNvise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. From Empire to Hegemony: The Dynamics of US. Relations with Cuba and Mexico, 1930-1 940 Cari Fournier The history of US. relations with Cuba and Mexico has always been complicated by differtng political, adtural, social, and economic systems in addition to geographic proximity. The major difierence be-n the 1930s and the eariier and later periods was that t!!e US.government decided to change the nature and practice d its relationship with Latin America in resQonse to domestic American pressure and anti-American resentrnent in the region. The U.S. government ended its policy of political interference and amed intervention in the intemal affairs of both Cuba and Mexico, but wanted to retain its large mornic and investment stake in the two countries. It also responded to the dislocations produceci by the Great Depression in al1 three cwntries: increased nationalism and political..eeonomic palafizatim. ttie &jedive of this Wsis is fourfold: to examine the dynamics of the U.S. relatiomhip with Cuba and Mexico to determine uhtwrnpelled the U.S. gavemmto end the pradices of 'empire" in its relations with the fiJK) nations; 2) to imestigate the exercise of 'hegemong in US. dations with the Wm cwntnes ta ascertain Hihether it was direntfrom 'empimw;3) to study îhe intemal political, sacial and ecomrnic devefopmentsof bath Cuba and Mexico in Vie 1930s that allWthe USshii fmm empire to hegemony; and 4) to explain how the impact of the onset of the Second Wodd War consolidated the Amencan adoption of hegemony. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS f irst of all, I wuld like to thank my thesis supervisor, Dr. Frank Chalk Dr. Chalk has been a patient, helpful and supportive supervisor. He has read every draft of the thesis and has akysoffered me thoughtful, critical and valuable adviœ on how to improve my prose and focus my analysis. I cannot daim to have been an ideal student to wrk with, but I know that this thesis is better because of Dr. ChalKs help at every stage fiom inception to completion. I'd tike to thank Professor Carolyn Fick for being a superb second reader of this thesis. Her critiques and suggestions helped me fows on the comparative nature of the project in order to appreciate the differences and simiiarities between Cuba and Mexico. She was also invaluable as a Latin Americanist who lent her assistance to a novice in the field trying to understand the larger picture. 1 am grateful to Donna Whittaker, the former History Department Graduate Secretary, for her help and support. There were many times vvhen I was discouraged, but Donna made me see the importance of my project, and encouraged me to continue. I -nt ta thank the staff at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park, New York for their assistance during my trip th- hm7 December to 11 December 1998. They provided me 4th an excellent understanding of how an archive operates and their prafessionalism is a eredit to arehivists evmere. Friends and associates, inside and outside of the University, also provided assistance with their ideas and support I'd like to thank: Oorr Coiiymore, Jamie Troini, Richard Deschamps, Elizabeth Cabral-Troini, Rick Ouranœau, Eric Marquis and Ken McMurray for ali the joys and warm embraces of fnendship. My mother, Lyn Foumier, and sister, Christi Fournier, have supported me from the beginning of this project They provided critical and interested ears and eyes to test my oft-times turgid prose and analysis. They also gave me the love that I needed to keep working through long hours of researching, writing and editing. Lastly, I would like to dedicate my thesis to the memory of my father, Guy Fournier, who died dunng the course of the research. He supported me in al1 aspects of my life and never hesitated to tell me when I had screwed up or when I had succeeded. My life is richer because of my father, and I will always cherish the many lessons about iife and other things that he taught me. DEOlCATlON This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my father, Guy Fournier (1940- 1999). Thank you for al1 the love and support you gave me. This thesis is a small token of my recognition and appreciation of everything you did for me. This work could never have been undertaken without your help. Walt Whitman said it best, 'O Captain! my captain! our fearful trip is done". God bless and keep you, and farewll, old man. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction: Frorn Empire to Hegemony: The ûynamics of US. Rellons wiîh Cuba and Mexico. 193&1940 ..........................................................................1 Chapter 1: The Oynamics of US.-Latin American Relations during the 1930s: An Histonographical Essay ................................... 5 Chapter II: Naüon Buüding and State Formation in Cuba and Mexico, IWO-1930 .............................. Chapter III: Dissolution of Empire: U.S. Relations mth Cuba and Maxico. 1950-1933................... ,.,. ........................... 61 Chapter IV: Experiments in New Deal Diplomacy: U.S. Relations with Cuba and Mexico, 1933-1936...................... ,. ...,........ 3 Chapter V: Hegemony Consolidated: U.S. Relations wiîh Cuba and Mexico, 1937-1940.. ............................................................... 1O0 Conclusion: FmEmpire to Hegemony: An Analysis of the Dynamics in US. Relations with Cuba and Mexico, 1930-19J0 ..................................................................................... 125 FROM EMPIRE TO HEGEMONY: THE DYNAMICS OF U.S. RELAfK)NS WlT H CUBA AND Ma(K30,193û-l94û U.S. relations with both Cuba and Mexico have always been complicated by diering perceptions and values in politics, culture and economics. Geography has also been a problem as bath Cuba and Mexico are the Mm Latin American nations closest to the United States. Moreover, the US. has invaded both muntries at one time or another during the past tiJuo hundred years. In the 1930s the U.S. govemment ckided to change its relationship with Latin America in general and with Cuba and Mexico in mcular. There were four reasons for this change. The first was to counierad the grAng powr and attraction of Latin Amencan nationaiism in order to maintain U.S.econmic and political interests in the region. The sscand was to abandon old practices and ideas in its relations that wre counterproductive and to articulate new ones. The third was to allw the United States to participate in international affairs in response to isolationism at home and depression and war in the larger world. The fourîh was to prevent latin American connections wiai extra-hemispheric Gountries which wwld #maten US. secunty and interests in the region. U.S. relations with Cuba in 1930 were complicated because the isiand had been an American protedorate hm1898 ta 1902, and a client state since 1903. Cuba was minally an independent nation, but its constitution contained the Platt Ammiment which allWthe United States to intervene in Cuba if the govemment was unable to pfeserve life, liberty and propwty. The U.S. had intervened on four dirent occasions sinœ Cuban independence in 1902. In 1930, the US. bdieved that the Cuban president, General Gerardo Machado, was able to protect U.S. interests and investments on the isiand. Machado ms supporteci by the Cuûan am. This belief in Cuban 9tabil.w viras tested during the 19303 as Cuba succurnbed to political revolution which challengecl U.S. imperiaI control. The U.S. mnduding that impen'al eoritral was no longer a viable option, allowd the removal of Machado, the old amy leadership and eventually, the old political class. The abrogation of the Platt Amendment in 1934 was also a means to initiate a new political relationship between the tHio nations. The U.S. was not as willing to abandon its ecanamic control over the island. The wndusion of a Reciprocal Trada Agreement in 1934 with the United States undemined limited Cuban efforts at eamomic diversification and condemned the island to a monoculture system dependent on the gmwth and export of sugar and tobacco. Having eliminated the counterproductive aspeds of its unequal relâtionship with Cuba, aie U.S. emerged a net gainer as World War II enipted in Europe. U.S. relations with Mexico in 19% wre also cornplex The U.S. graduaily abandoned the overt practices of imperialism in its relations witti its southern neighbour. The occasional invasions of Mexican territory and U.S. govemment demands that the Mexican govemment show respect for US. investments and interests in Mexico wre increasingty unproductive as the US.pursued better relations with Mexico. This change did not diminate points of contention betwieen the tiriJo nations as Mexico was in the pracess of cansolidating and institutiwializing a revoiution vlrhich began in 1910.