That American Century

The Invasion of Veracruz Part 2 |On the anniversary of the Battle of Chapultepec (September 13, 1847), the President of Mexico recites the names of eight Los Niños Héroes (boy heroes) during the annual ceremony commemorating the young boy's ultimate act of patriotism and sacrifice.Six of the eight Los Niños Héroes die during the Battle of Chapultepec (1847), and two die during the American Invasion of Veracruz in 1914. Prior to the American landing in 1914, President Huerta orders Federal Troops to abandon Veracruz, leaving the defense of the city to its citizenry and to cadets at the Naval Academy. The cadets fight the Yankee Invaders for seven hours, and their safe and successful retreat is thanks, largely, to the courageous machine gun fire coverage provided by 19-year old José Azueta.Mexicans are outraged by this American invasion and occupation of their city. Tensions will persist between these two countries to the present day, but some of that tension is eased a bit when President Harry S. Truman makes the first trip by an American President to Mexico in 1947, 100 years after the Battle of Chapultepec. He makes an unscheduled stop at The Monumento a los Niños Héroes ("Monument to the Boy Heroes") and pays tribute to the brave young men. When asked why he visited the monument President Truman replied, "brave men don't belong to any one country. I respect bravery where I see it."The eight Niños Héroes whose names are read aloud every year are: Juan de la Barrera, Juan Escutia, Francisco Márquez, Agustín Melgar, Fernando Montes de Oca, Vicente Suárez, Virgilio Uribe, and José Azueta. Music by Epidemic Sound.Sources for this episode include:The Library of CongressThe Landing at Veracruz by Jack SweetmanAn Affair of Honor by Robert E. QuirkGangsters of Capitalism by Jonathan M. KatzTruman by David McCulloughPlain Speaking – an Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman by Merle MillerThe Chapultepec Group

The Invasion of Veracruz Part 1 |The President of the United States has refused to recognize the leader of a sovereign nation, US oil interests are in danger, and the use of military force has been authorized. It’s April 1914, and Woodrow Wilson has sent battleships to the port of Veracruz, Mexico. The invasion plan is set. Smedley D. Butler will lead his marines ashore, take the Customs House, then take the city. Smedley D. Butler received 16 medals during his distinguished career in the United States Marines, including two Medals of Honor. He receives his first Medal of Honor after leading his men in urban combat during the 1914 Invasion of Veracruz. After he retires in 1931, Smedley D. Butler becomes very vocal about US Foreign Policy and his speeches are turned into a short book titled War is a Racket. In 1932, Butler boosts morale when he makes an appearance at the Bonus Army camp in Washington D.C. The Bonus Army protestors had been in the nation's capital that summer to petition Congress for early payment of the bonus promised to them for their service in The Great War. Their request is denied, and President Herbert Hoover wants them out of the city. The United States Army is called in and a violent conflict between active soldiers and veterans plays out on the streets of Washington. Music by Epidemic Sound.Sources for this episode include:Gangsters of Capitalism by Jonathan M. KatzMaverick Marine by Hans SchmidtOld Gimlet Eye by Lowell Thomas

The Bombardment of Greytown, Durand v. Hollins, and Executive military power |The power of the President has expanded over the last 200 years. Is the President allowed to declare war? No. The President is allowed to use the military and authorize force but under what circumstances?In 1854, the murder of Antonio Palladino, a Nicaraguan fisherman, would lead to a court case whose ruling would state that the President is allowed to use military force in order to protect American citizens or to protect American property abroad.Durand v. Hollins will be cited by administrations during the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries in defense of their use of military force, and it will be cited by President Woodrow Wilson in defense of his 1914 invasion of Veracruz.Music by Epidemic SoundSources for this episode include:The Papers of Woodrow WilsonWilliam Walker's Wars by Scott MartelleGangsters of Capitalism by Jonathan M. Katzlawfaremedia.org

Colonel Edward House: The Man Behind Woodrow Wilson's Throne | In April 1914, Woodrow Wilson calls on his most trusted advisor, Colonel Edward House after luncheon. He is seeking counsel on what he should do about the "Mexican Situation." President Huerta has refused to give the American Flag a 21-gun salute after the Tampico Incident, and Wilson feels the U.S. cannot bear this insult. Should he authorize invasion? A savvy Politico from Texas, Colonel Edward House (who isn't really a Colonel but granted this honorific title by Governor Jim Hogg) has big foreign policy ideas for Wilson and his administration, and one of those ideas is restoring law and order in Mexico via U.S. intervention. Wilson sends battleships to the East Coast and the West Coast of Mexico and talk of WAR is all over the papers. Is the United States on the edge of an armed conflict? Will the U.S. get the regime change they're looking for, or will Wilson's cooler head and pacific nature prevail?Music by Epidemic Sound.Sources for this episode include:Colonel House by Charles E. NeuWar on the Border by Jeff GuinnWilliam F. Buckley Sr by John A. Adams Jr.Buckley by Sam Tanenhaus

Mexico's Oil and the Incident at Tampico |Two months before Franz Ferdinand is shot and three months before the Great War begins, an incident in the port city of Tampico causes Woodrow Wilson to seriously consider “intervention” in Mexico. The Mexican Revolution has been underway since 1910, and the Wilson Administration has refused to recognize to its new leader - Victoriano Huerta. An American intervention could make Tampico safe for the Americans living and doing business in Mexico, and talk of war is all over the papers. Why is Tampico so important to the U.S.? Oil, of course. Music by Epidemic Sound.Sources for this episode include:The Prize by Daniel YerginThe World Crisis by Winston ChurchillGangsters of Capitalism by Jonathan M. KatzWoodrow Wilson by John Milton Cooper Jr.Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn by Christopher Cox

The Assassination of Franz Ferdinand | On what day did the 20th century begin? Franz Ferdinand is shot in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 by South Slav nationalist Gavrilo Princip, and the world changes forever. Americans read the shocking details the following morning, June 29, and wonder if there will be another war in the Balkans. Could an even greater conflict erupt in Europe? When the Great War begins in August 1914, President Wilson declares the U.S. neutral, however, the Allied powers are soon granted credit from JP Morgan & Co. to buy American-made guns, munitions, and artillery. Can the U.S. really call itself neutral? Another story breaks on June 29, 1914. American businesses have been fomenting and financing the revolution in Mexico. The Great War and the Mexican Revolution happen concurrently, American businesses profit from both, and the first roots of That American Century take hold.Music by Epidemic Sound.Sources for this episode include:The National ArchivesThe Papers of Woodrow WilsonThe Path to War: How the First World War Created Modern America by Michael S. NeibergThe House of Morgan by Ron ChernowWoodrow Wilson and the World War by Charles SeymourJuly 1914: Countdown to War by Sean McMeekinAmerican Midnight by Adam Hochschild