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Period: to
Events of and Around Somoza's Reign
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US Influence Begins in Nicaragua
The British and American armies become increasingly involved in Nicaragua's problems. The presence of foreign troops in Nicaragua becomes the norm. This American interest was caused by the need for a possible canal and faster transport to the west due to the gold rush. This was found on countrystudies.us which is a text of "Nicaragua: A country study" which turned out to be the same source as the intro. -
Zelaya Leaves
US helps Nicaraguans overthrow their dictator, Zelaya. Who (despite being oppressive) brought great economic growth to the country. Zelaya was also involved in other Latin American countries, for example, he helped overthrow Honduras' dictator. This info came from onwar.com, which is a website focusing on conflicts throughout history. -
Mena Rebels
Luis Mena led a rebellion to stop president Diaz's reelection and US control. US soldiers came to Nicaragua to put a stop to the rebellion, and this led to a permanent presence of US troops in Nicaragua until 1933.
Mena ended up fleeing the country after his failed rebellion. I learned this on the archives of the US State Department. -
Chamorro-Bryan Treaty
This treaty was passed as a watered down version of another treaty that tried to allow the US to come into Nicaragua whenever they wanted to "protect US interests." Instead, the main point of this treaty was to stop other countries from building a canal in competition with the Panama Canal. The treaty also included a $3,000,000 payment to Nicaragua from the US. I found this on the website of the Institute of American History. -
Sandino's Rebellion
Sandino rebelled after refusing the Pact of Espino Negro. His goals were originally communist-like, but after the creation of the Pact, he focused only on disrupting American control of Nicaragua.
Sandino's tactics in his guerilla movement were also used by Fidel Castro in Cuba. I found this on a page about Sandino's rebellion by the University of Idaho. -
Pact of Espino Negro
After some political quarreling followed by fighting between conservative and liberal groups, the US was forced to send troops to clear up the problems. They followed this up by sending a diplomat to create this Pact which gave the US power to maintain peace in Nicaragua and oversee the elections later that year. -
National Guard Created
After many revolutions and political uprisings in Nicaragua, the US created the National Guard as a Nicaraguan force to fight these battles instead of the US. Although it did stop them to an extent, the National Guard was used as a tool of power for the Somoza dictators later. Some members of the National Guard later left after Somoza's oppressive government made them lose support in it. I got this info from a site on Nicaragua done by Brown University. -
American Forces Leave Nicaragua
America had marines in Nicaragua for a while due to a possible Civil War in the country. They leave due to greater problems from the coming of World War 2. This left a huge space in leadership and power in Nicaragua. Another reason Americans left Nicaragua is because it allowed easier peace relations. This info came from Nicaragua.com, the official website of Nicaragua. -
Somoza Garcia Rises
Somoza first becomes the head of the national guard in Nicaragua and then becomes President through a series of assassinations and corrupt political dealings. No serious force could stop him after his national guard control was finalized. Somoza spoke English and went to school in America, which made American relations easier for him. This came from historytoday.com, a run-of-the-mill history website. -
Somoza Garcia Is Assassinated
Over his time as President, Garcia garners great amounts of land and money from Nicaragua. Him having all of this power made him quite unpopular and someone assassinated him. He was taken to a US hospital rather than a Nicaraguan hospital after being shot. This was found in Encyclopedia Britannica. -
Anastasio Somoza Takes Power
After his father's assassination and his older brother's death, Anastatsio takes power. He is not received well, and doesn't know how to work against it. The only way he attempts to control the population in via more oppression. This makes the opposition against him increasingly strong. Anastasio went to West Point in the US for his college education. This was found on Encyclopedia Britannica. -
Earthquake!
An earthquake in Nicaragua was the final straw for the people. The national guard provided no support to those injured and affected by the earthquake, and the foreign aid Nicaragua received went straight into the pockets of Anastasio. 10,000 people died in the earthquake. This was found on history.com, which is run by the history channel. -
Anastasio Somoza Leaves
After increasing political pressure and everyone in Nicaragua hating him. Anastasio finally leaves Nicaragua. He ended up being assassinated in 1980 while in Paraguay. This was found on Encyclopedia Britannica.
