The history of the United States of America has often remembered the country as being the world superpower or the world’s police force. That is to say that there have been only a few times the country has entered a conflict and lost. The large-scale wars such as The War of 1812, the U.S. Mexico War and both World Wars showed the military might of America. However there are a number of small wars that are less known and show the countries vulnerability. In his book The Savage Wars of Peace, Max Boot chronicles some of the lesser-known wars in American History, especially conflicts in which the United States has struggled. He points out that in small wars, or wars in which full scale battle does not occur the Unites States is more easily defeated.
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Involvement in Nicaragua had an additional goal, to protect American business and investment in the country. There were American enterprises ranging from mining operations, and planned naval bases to a second Isthmian Canal. The original point of contention was the early withdrawal of U.S. troops by President Calvin Coolidge that led to anarchy in Nicaragua in 1924. Two years later Marines landed to settle a civil war between Nicaraguan Liberals and Conservatives. Coolidge was unwilling to wage a full-scale war and was being criticized by Congress. Just like in the Philippines a small nation challenged the American military by using guerilla tactics and fighting a small war. The Nicaraguan rebel leader Augusto Sandino, used the terrain to his advantage entrenching himself on top of the 5,000 foot mountain El Chipote. From there he launched guerilla raids on the Americans, frustrating them endlessly. The Americans were eventually able to gain momentum through their Company M, led by Marine Lewis Burwell Puller. His small battalion, which was a small group and included local Indians recruits, waged a successful guerilla campaign of their own. Sandino began to lose support and lost two elections, but the turning point was in 1931 when an earthquake devastated the area. Americans again attempted to attract support of the locals, just as Taft did in the Philippines, and offered aid. Sandino was defeated in a showdown with Puller before the Marines withdrew again in 1933. Sandino army was devastated and forced to dissolve, and he would later be assassinated under suspicious circumstances, some say with the backing of the U.S. The guerilla campaign of Sandino frustrated the Americans for years, and it was not until Puller used the same techniques and locally recruited that the Unites States military saw success. Just like in the Philippine example winning over the locals was
Involvement in Nicaragua had an additional goal, to protect American business and investment in the country. There were American enterprises ranging from mining operations, and planned naval bases to a second Isthmian Canal. The original point of contention was the early withdrawal of U.S. troops by President Calvin Coolidge that led to anarchy in Nicaragua in 1924. Two years later Marines landed to settle a civil war between Nicaraguan Liberals and Conservatives. Coolidge was unwilling to wage a full-scale war and was being criticized by Congress. Just like in the Philippines a small nation challenged the American military by using guerilla tactics and fighting a small war. The Nicaraguan rebel leader Augusto Sandino, used the terrain to his advantage entrenching himself on top of the 5,000 foot mountain El Chipote. From there he launched guerilla raids on the Americans, frustrating them endlessly. The Americans were eventually able to gain momentum through their Company M, led by Marine Lewis Burwell Puller. His small battalion, which was a small group and included local Indians recruits, waged a successful guerilla campaign of their own. Sandino began to lose support and lost two elections, but the turning point was in 1931 when an earthquake devastated the area. Americans again attempted to attract support of the locals, just as Taft did in the Philippines, and offered aid. Sandino was defeated in a showdown with Puller before the Marines withdrew again in 1933. Sandino army was devastated and forced to dissolve, and he would later be assassinated under suspicious circumstances, some say with the backing of the U.S. The guerilla campaign of Sandino frustrated the Americans for years, and it was not until Puller used the same techniques and locally recruited that the Unites States military saw success. Just like in the Philippine example winning over the locals was