Big stick ideology
[1] The American press during his time, as well as many modern historians today, used the term "big stick" to describe the foreign policy positions during his administration.
Roosevelt described his style of foreign policy as "the exercise of intelligent forethought and of decisive action sufficiently far in advance of any likely crisis".
Simultaneously threatening with the "big stick", or the military, ties in heavily with the idea of Realpolitik, which implies a pursuit of political power that resembles Machiavellian ideals.
The term derives from the phrase, Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far, which Roosevelt claimed was a West African proverb, although there is little evidence for that.
Roosevelt (then Governor of New York), in a bout of happiness after forcing New York's Republican committee to pull support away from a corrupt financial adviser, wrote to Henry L. Sprague a letter dated January 26, 1900,[6] in which he said: I have always been fond of the West African proverb: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.
"He first publicly uttered the phrase in March of the same year in relation to his reputation for holding state Senators accountable.
If you carry the stick only and forget to speak softly in nine cases out of ten, the other man will have a bigger stick.Roosevelt would go on to be elected Vice President later that year and subsequently used the aphorism in an address to the Minnesota State Fair entitled "National Duties" on September 2, 1901:[8][9] A good many of you are probably acquainted with the old proverb: "Speak softly and carry a big stick—you will go far.
"Although it had been used before his presidency, Roosevelt used military muscle several times throughout his two terms with a more subtle touch to complement his diplomatic policies and enforcing the Monroe Doctrine throughout multiple interventions in Latin America.
This included the Great White Fleet, 16 battleships which peacefully circumnavigated the globe as an illustration of United States's rising yet neutral prestige under Roosevelt's direction.
[14][15] In 1904, although he had mentioned the basis of his idea beforehand in private letters, Roosevelt officially announced the corollary, stating that he only wanted the "other republics on this continent" to be "happy and prosperous".
During the requests for the blockade's end, Roosevelt stationed naval forces in Cuba, to ensure "the respect of Monroe doctrine" and the compliance of the parties in question.
A year later, Roosevelt wrote: Just at the moment I am so angry with that infernal little Cuban republic that I would like to wipe its people off the face of the earth.
