The Banana Wars E71 Doctrine Backed by Firepower: The Monroe Legacy in Latin America
This episode marks the beginning of a new era for the Marine Corps. Between 1898 and World War I, Marines were no longer just a shipboard force. They were central to U.S. foreign policy in Latin America, especially during the Banana Wars. From Panama to Mexico, Marines became the go-to unit for rapid intervention, counterinsurgency, and stability operations.
Their efforts helped shape the U.S. role in the region and laid the groundwork for modern expeditionary doctrine. The Marine Corps had found its niche and over the next few episodes, we’ll break down how those missions played out, one country at a time.
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References:
Butler, S. D. (2021). War Is a Racket (1st ed.). Round Table Press.
Ellsworth, H. A. (2014). One Hundred Eighty Landings of United States Marines, 1800–1934. Createspace Independent Pub.
Goldsborough, C. W. (1824). The United States Naval Chronicle. Washington: James Wilson.
Logsheet of Historic Marine Corps Dates, Historical Branch, G-3 Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.
Knox, D. W. (1936). A History of the United States Navy. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
Maclay, E. S. (2018). A History of American Privateers. Franklin Classics.
N. (2021). THE USMC SMALL WARS MANUAL 1940. Nafziger.
Nalty, B. C. (2013). The United States Marines In The War with Spain. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
U.S. Department of State. Right to Protect Citizens in Foreign Countries by Landing Forces, Memorandum of the Solicitor, 5 October 1912, Third Revised Edition with Supplemental Appendix up to 1933. Washington, 1934.