Banana Wars

The Banana Wars (Spanish: Guerras bananeras, Haitian Creole: Lagè Bannann) were a series of conflicts that consisted of military occupation, police action, and intervention by the United States in Central America and the Caribbean between the end of the Spanish–American War in 1898 and the inception of the Good Neighbor policy in 1934. The military interventions were primarily carried out by the United States Marine Corps, which also developed a manual, the Small Wars Manual (1921), based on their experiences. On occasion, the United States Navy provided gunfire support and the United States Army also deployed troops.

With the Treaty of Paris signed in 1898, control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines fell to the United States (surrendered from Spain). The United States conducted military interventions in Cuba, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. These conflicts ended when the US withdrew from Haiti in 1934 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The term "banana wars" was popularized in 1983 by writer Lester D. Langley. Langley wrote several books on Latin American history and American intervention, including: The United States and the Caribbean, 1900–1970 and The Banana Wars: An Inner History of American Empire, 1900–1934. His work regarding the Banana Wars encompasses the entire United States tropical empire, which overtook the Western Hemisphere, spanning both Roosevelt presidencies. The term was popularized through this writing and portrayed the United States as a police force sent to reconcile these warring tropical countries, lawless societies, and corrupt politicians, essentially establishing US reign over tropical trade.

Most prominently, the US was advancing economic, political, and military interests in order to maintain its sphere of influence and to secure the Panama Canal (which opened in 1914). The US had recently built the Panama Canal in order to promote global trade and to project its naval power. US companies, such as the United Fruit Company (now Chiquita) and Standard Fruit Company (now Dole plc), also had financial stakes in the production of bananas, tobacco, sugarcane, and other commodities throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America. The latter had a history of political intervention, most notably overthrowing the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1898.

The US justified its interventions in Latin America by stating they were necessary actions to protect its economic interest. The Panama Canal was used as a major justification of these interventions which America deemed essential for its trade and security over the Northern Hemisphere. With the 1901 Hay–Pauncefote Treaty, granting the US control to build the Panama Canal, the US felt the need to protect its economic goals and strategic objectives in the region which would later set the stage for the Banana Wars.

With financial stakes in many crops, the US also felt compelled to protect these companies producing these goods. Major food companies like the United Fruit Company (UFC), which was the major exporter of bananas to the US, needed the military’s help in protecting its large plantations and railroads from potential threats. With the US backing these companies, it allowed them to hold a large influence over the local governments. Now with the US having an economic foothold in Latin America, they were able to assert control over this region and ensure that their own interests came first.

Nicaragua was the main center of unrest against US companies' interest and the two main figures involved were Guatemala’s ruler Manuel Estrada Cabrera (1900), who ruthlessly modernized the economy with Indian slave labor, and Nicaragua’s Liberal ruler, Jose Santos Zelaya, both were forceful autocratic leaders, and most importantly mortal enemies. Cabrera managed to convince the US representatives in Latin America that he was an enlightened progressive trying to bring Guatemala into the modern age like America. Zelaya was highly against picking favorites with other countries outside of Latin America especially so Zelaya would preach about how the Americans should involve themselves with Latin American business and to have them stick to their own country. Because of this, American opinion of Zelaya was much lower than that of Manuel.

The Americans in Latin America did not like how Zelaya was involved in the economy of Latin America as well as his way of meddling in other countries affairs to get what he felt was best. Zelaya's distaste of the Americans also came with the building of the Panama Canal which he wanted built in Nicaragua instead.