Pax Americana

[DMA]

Although there’s the thread American Expanse at the moment, dealing with an expansionist USA, say we have a different POD set in 1898 instead…

So, what if, after the Spanish American War 1898 the US government came to the conclusion that the best way to beat Imperialism was to join it. As a result, the US, not only clung jealously to the territories gained at the expense of Spain (namely Cuba, The Philippines, Puerto Rico, & Guam), but actively sought out other territories in some sort of expanded Monroe Doctrine.

So, from 1900 onwards, under the Presidency of Teddy Roosevelt - the conqueror of San Juan Hill - America deliberately seeks to, not only hold onto territory won in the Spanish American War, but to expand its territory throughout the world.

What could this expansionism mean for the world, especially for America’s neighbours like Canada, Mexico, & elsewhere in Central & South America?

What territories could/would be added to the USA? How would these territories be added? Do they become states at some time or remain "territories" - meaning they have few or no rights?

Could WWI involve, not the European powers fighting each other, but a united Europe against an aggressive & expansionist United States? And what would be the outcome of such a World War?

Anything else?

[GBW]

Well, the US could have turned Liberia into a colony, I suppose. The US could then take on Liberia's claims to neighboring lands that had been annexed by France and Britain. They might also try and take all of Panama, and other parts of Central America, so that they can secure a location for building a canal. They might also demand a larger slice of China for American influence and trade. Wasn't there also an American claim on part of Greenland in this period? That might provoke a war with Denmark that could allow them to seize the Virgin Islands, Greenland and maybe even Iceland. That last would definitely make the British wary.

[jolo]

I suppose there'd also be chances to annex quite a few countries peacefully - if the US wanted to.

I do not believe Europe would ever unite before wwii - not even if the Chinese managed to get their act together and conquer half the world.

The US could definitely do another Mexican war - maybe even using the Zimmermann Telegramm as an excuse for a preemptive strike. Could be interesting to see if Germany would still offer an alliance with Mexico after the war started... The other European powers were too busy to do anything about it at the time, and the US probably needn't have stopped before reaching Panama.

Such an aggressive style would probably have lead to a more bitter wwi - not stopping before the Allies can grab a lot of territory from Germany. That might even be better than loosing the territories on the bargaining table as IOTL, as there would be no "stab in the back" and "we could still have won" thinking in the heads of many Germans. A more humble Germany might even butterfly away wwii as we know it - which would probably mean a war of GB and some allies against the SU.

WWII (or sth. similar) would be a good chance for taking all of Canada in exchange for "aid until victory" instead of the lend lease act, and maybe even demand complete independence for Australia. I doubt the British would have said no...

A real boost for the US might be the time after wwii, if it goes anything like OTL - many of the newly freed countries might be happy to join the US (at least in terms of trade and defence treaties), while the SU gets all the blame for supporting the insurgencies...

[DMA]

Pisstt - Just a small footnote to European history Jolo - Europe did unite against the Chinese in 1900. It was called the Boxer Rebellion. And it wasn't fought on European soil either, but on Chinese soil

[jolo]

Originally Posted by DMA

Pisstt - Just a small footnote to European history Jolo - Europe did unite against the Chinese in 1900. It was called the Boxer Rebellion. And it wasn't fought on European soil either, but on Chinese soil

I didn't forget - but as was shown 9 years later (actually already 7 years later), that wasn't too much of a union.

[DMA]

Originally Posted by jolo

I didn't forget - but as was shown 9 years later (actually already 7 years later), that wasn't too much of a union.

Nonetheless it was a start

[Wendell]

I see the U.S. growing quietly, which to some extent, was TR's style. I've always wondered about a different sort of Panama crisis, but that is for another thread Here I'll say that the U.S. likely won't seek to annex Liberia, but could openl support its claims to Sierra Leone and/or the Ivory Coast. Maybe TR could bring Haiti and the Dominican Republic into the Union? If he can hold on to the Presidency long enough, TR could negotiate an early entry into World War I for the United States, provided certain concessions are assured from the Entente, of course.