Colombia And World War I

In the horrific conflict of 1914–1918 known first as “The Great War” and later as World War I, Latin American nations were peripheral players. Only after the U.S. entered the fighting in 1917 did eight of the twenty republics declare war. Five others broke diplomatic relations with Germany, while seven maintained strict neutrality. These diplomatic stances, even those of the two actual belligerents—Brazil and Cuba—did little to tip the balance of victory in favor of the allies, and perhaps that explains why historians have paid scant attention to events in Latin America related to the war. Nevertheless, it is still remarkable that Percy Alvin Martin’s classic account, Latin American and the War, first published in 1925, remains the standard text on the topic. This book attempts to redress this gap by taking a fresh look at developments between 1914 and 1921 in one of the neutral nations—Colombia. This period, which coincides with the presidency of José Vicente Concha (1914–1918) and his successor, Marco Fidel Suárez (1918–1921), is filled with momentous developments not only in foreign policy, when Colombian diplomats pressured by German, British and U.S. propaganda struggled to maintain strict neutrality, but also on the domestic scene as the newly installed Conservative regime faced political and economic crises that sparked numerous and violent protests. Rausch's examination of the administrations of Concha and Suárez supports Martin’s assertion that even those countries neutral in the Great War were not immune from its effects.

Beginning with an analysis of cultural themes and ending with a discussion of evolving and expanding political and corporate institutions, The Columbia History of Post-World War II America addresses changes in America's response to the outside world; the merging of psychological states and social patterns in memorial culture, scandal culture, and consumer culture; the intersection of social practices and governmental policies; the effect of technological change on society and politics; and the intersection of changing belief systems and technological development, among other issues. Many had feared that Orwellian institutions would crush the individual in the postwar era, but a major theme of this book is the persistence of individuality and diversity. Trends toward institutional bigness and standardization have coexisted with and sometimes have given rise to a countervailing pattern of individualized expression and consumption. Today Americans are exposed to more kinds of images and music, choose from an infinite variety of products, and have a wide range of options in terms of social and sexual arrangements. In short, they enjoy more ways to express their individuality despite the ascendancy of immense global corporations, and this volume imaginatively explores every facet of this unique American experience.

This volume considers intellectuals within the social history of World War I. It offers a reflection on intellectuals' stance toward militarism and the outbreak of war. It examines their reactions, thoughts, and predictions and the ways in which they interpreted the meaning of the war, as well as how they saw the possibilities of the postwar era.

This controversial book maintains that in Colombia the US has long supported a pervasive campaign of state violence directed against both armed insurgents and a wide range of unarmed progressive social forces. While the context may change from one decade to the next, the basic policies remain the same: maintain the pro-US Colombian state, protect US economic interests and preserve strategic access to oil. Colombia is now the third largest recipient of US military aid in the world, and the largest by far in Latin America. Using extensive declassified documents, this book shows that the so-called "war on drugs", and now the new war on terror in Colombia are actually part of a long-term Colombian "war of state terror" that predates the end of the Cold War with US policy contributing directly to the human rights situation in Colombia today.

The first full-length study of World War II from the Latin American perspective, this unique volume offers an in-depth analysis of the region during wartime. Each country responded to World War II according to its own national interests, which often conflicted with those of the Allies, including the United States. The contributors systematically consider how each country dealt with commonly shared problems: the Axis threat to the national order, the extent of military cooperation with the Allies, and the war's impact on the national economy and domestic political and social structures. Drawing on both U.S. and Latin American primary sources, the book offers a rigorous comparison of the wartime experiences of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Central America, Gran Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, and Puerto Rico.

Berlin 1937, Adolph Hitler and his cabinet meet with representatives of a tiny Latin American nation. Years later, the unfolding consequences of that fateful meeting plunge a continent into flames. New World War concludes the saga begun in Axis of Andes. These stunning alternate histories explore the baroque and tragic journey of Latin America from independence to the depression, and chronicling a dark history that might have been. In Axis of Andes, a tiny change alters the outcome of an election. Rippling outwards, Fascist movements gain more momentum, local politics unravel in new directions. What in our history was a small brushfire war between Ecuador and Peru becomes a death struggle as a prepared Ecuador fights back. As the world looks on, Chile attacks Peru, the Andean wars begin and the conflict brings invasions, counter-invasions, trench war, sea battles and brutal contests extending from mountains to rain forests. New World War shows us the Andean powers stalemated and growing desperate. None of them have the power to knock their adversaries out of the war. Instead, one by one other nations are drawn in as the warring nations seek advantage, Bolivia falls into civil war as Peru and Chile invade. Beyond the Andes mountains, in the headwaters and tributaries to the Amazon, dueling riverboats and jungle fighters from Ecuador and Peru blunder into Brazil, and in the north and south, Argentina and Colombia meddle for their own advantage. New World War is written both as a history and as a series of compelling narratives. It features deep examinations of the societies and economies of each combatant, and exploring the underlying tensions and stresses, the fault lines and tectonic divides that drive the internal politics and international agendas of each combatant. Away from the big pictures, we see scenes of the war and the combatants from their own perspective as the world falls apart around them. The Axis of Andes and New World War is a thrilling, yet scholarly, Alternate History series which ultimately rewrites the map of South America.

In the watershed year of 1919, world leaders met in Paris, promising to build a new international order rooted in democracy and social justice. Female activists demanded that statesmen live up to their word. Excluded from the negotiating table, women met separately, crafted their own agendas, and captured global headlines with a message that was both straightforward and revolutionary: enduring peace depended as much on recognition of the fundamental humanity and equality of all people—regardless of sex, race, class, or creed—as on respect for the sovereignty of independent states. Peace on Our Terms follows dozens of remarkable women from Europe, the Middle East, North America, and Asia as they crossed oceans and continents; commanded meeting halls in Paris, Zurich, and Washington; and marched in the streets of Cairo and Beijing. Mona L. Siegel’s sweeping global account of international organizing highlights how Egyptian and Chinese nationalists, Western and Japanese labor feminists, white Western suffragists, and African American civil rights advocates worked in tandem to advance women’s rights. Despite significant resistance, these pathbreaking women left their mark on emerging democratic constitutions and new institutions of global governance. Drawing on a wide range of sources, Peace on Our Terms is the first book to demonstrate the centrality of women’s activism to the Paris Peace Conference and the critical diplomatic events of 1919. Siegel tells the timely story of how female activists transformed women’s rights into a global rallying cry, laying a foundation for generations to come.

This book is a comprehensive study of Latin America during the First World War from a transnational perspective.