Masaryk university faculty of education
Abraham Lincoln - Civil War 1861
Download 0.63 Mb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- 15.William McKinley: Spanish American War, 1898
- 16.Woodrow Wilson, U.S. Declaration of War with Germany, 1917
- 17.Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation, 1941
14.Abraham Lincoln - Civil War 1861When the Confederates forced the Union troops to surrender at Fort Sumter and thus started the Civil War, Lincoln had been in office less than two months. Though the causes of the Civil War are numerous, the crisis in the early 1860s itself resulted in several southern states threatening secession. The North opposed this decision and tried to politically and economically appease the South in order to prevent the dissolution of the Union. Prior to declaring war, Lincoln faced a difficult opposition not just from the Democratic Party, known as Peace Democrats (or Copperheads), but also from the general citizenry. Lincoln tried to prevent war by sending troops to battle without the authorization of Congress, stating that this was not a war but an internal issue. In fact, he broke many laws and overstepped his authority in many cases, which ironically earned him high acclaim later. Declaring a civil war less than a century after independence was not something Lincoln favored, but at last, he saw no other option for keeping the Union together. Linguistically speaking, he was and still is voted as one of the most eloquent and esteemed orators in the history of the U.S. Though it seems contrary to his language, which is full of religious references and allusions, Lincoln never joined a church. While there are some speculations whether or not he used God and religion to appease his audience or to speak his own beliefs, he was well versed in the Bible, quoted it frequently and praised its teachings as well. 15.William McKinley: Spanish American War, 1898McKinley inherited the Cuban independence issue (Cuba Libre) from his predecessor, Grover Cleveland, and like Lincoln, did not wish for the war to take place. He attempted to preserve friendly relations with Spain as long as possible, asking Spain to “revoke the reconcentration order and maintain the people until they can support themselves and offer to the Cubans full self-government, with reasonable indemnity.” (Calone) In spite of all these efforts, war was declared on April 25, 1898 due to Spain’s refusal to grant Cuba its independence and also due to the sinking of the American battleship USS Maine in the port of Havana, which was considered an open act of war. Only recently was it discovered that it was not the Spanish sinking the ship, but a faulty boiler on the ship which blew up. It should also be noted that the newspaper media played an important role in the declaration of the war and the entire war coverage. The sensational newspaper Heart and Pulitzer aroused the American public with scandalous illustrations and texts, resulting in widespread public demand for war. The Congress was no less fervent about responding with force. McKinley hesitated until the last moment, and actually received a positive message from the Spanish queen regent, but it was too late. Still discontented over the outcome of the situation, McKinley wrote a formal letter to Congress, requesting a declaration of war, which was approved unanimously a day later. The war was brief, ending in August 1898 and with American victory, resulting in the occupation of Cuba until 1902, when it gained its independence. Many historians claim that this was the first American step towards imperialism and becoming a world power. (Miller) Linguistically, the speech is interesting as it has a format of a letter, without any sound bites or short sentences. To the contrary, it contains a longest sentence of 130 words. It contains also very few audience involvement strategies and it also shows McKinley’s open submission to the Congress and its vote. That said, it is written in an eloquent and thorough style. 16.Woodrow Wilson, U.S. Declaration of War with Germany, 1917Much like Lincoln and McKinley, Wilson also greatly hesitated in entering the Great War, and called on his fellow citizens to remain “impartial in thought as well as deed.” (Our Documents) Though the United States attempted to stay neutral for as long as possible, a German naval blockade of Britain and America’s need to maintain trade with Britain, led the United States closer to involvement. Constant issues with the war in Europe almost cost Wilson his presidency, as he won his re-election in 1916 by only 23 electoral votes. Still in power, Wilson tried desperately to stay out of the war, but admitted that economic and military preparations were in place. He also presented a post war plan for maintaining peace through a League of Nations. Then events in February 1917 accelerated the course of history, when Germans secretly attempted negotiations with Mexico in case of war with the US, Russia overthrew its czarist regime and finally, the Germans torpedoed three US ships without warning. That said, it was also the media, the British and the American propagandist newspapers, which widely publicized and exaggerated the intercepted telegram from Germany’s Foreign Minister Zimmermann to the president of Mexico. All these factors combined finally resulted in Wilson’s demand for a declaration of war in front of the US Congress. The declaration passed in Congress on April 6 1917, but still, fifty representatives and six senators voted against it. Linguistically, the speech is longer, with a large portion dedicated to explaining the situation and to the defense and justification for going to war. Wilson’s position was precarious and the language shows a clear internal struggle and humility bordering on sheepishness. 17.Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation, 1941At the beginning of World War II, Roosevelt declared that “this nation will remain a neutral nation.” Indeed, America was isolationist and non-interventionist stemming from its involvement in World War I. While Roosevelt was set on staying out of the war, he was also determined to help the Allied nations as much as possible. He went as far as convincing Congress to amend the Neutrality Act of the 1930s, which originally prevented transport of arms. As America’s military trade with the Allied forces continued, the situation on the war fronts worsened and the American public began to realize the direct threat Germany now posed to the U.S. Shortly after Roosevelt’s unprecedented second re-election in 1941, Russia was attacked and the U.S. offered to supply them with military goods as well. America was now supplying arms for allies on two fronts and also patrolling shipping routes in the Atlantic, much to the aggravation of the Nazis. Eventually, this aggravation turned into direct attack and the Germans succeeded in sinking an American destroyer, killing many American soldiers. This prompted Congress to basically declare a naval war on Germany. At the same time, Roosevelt froze Japanese assets in the US as a response to Japanese war activities in the Pacific and their earlier signing of the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy. As is well known today, the Japanese chose not to repair its relations with the United States but instead opted for a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1944. A day later, FDR addressed the Congress and the people of the United States with a declaration of war on Japan, unanimously approved later that day. Roosevelt was as notoriously known for his dislike of newspaper owners and journalists as he was for his strong preference of the radio, mainly “because it offered voters a chance to receive information unadulterated by newspaper proprietors’ bias.” (Craig, p. 156) FDR often divided his scripts into five-minute sections so that he could time his speech precisely. He was also aware of the changing nature of the radio audience, and scheduled most of his “fireside chats” on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evening, when audiences were largest and press coverage the following day most comprehensive. Roosevelt generally kept his radio speeches short, usually 15 minutes, and tried to interfere as little as possible with the network’s commercial commitments. He was also careful not to overexpose himself on radio, making only 16 fireside chats during the first two years of his presidency, and only 31 during his 12-year tenure. Despite, or perhaps because of, his reputation as a radio maestro, FDR spent less time on the airwaves, and instead paid close attention to public reaction to his radio performances. (Craig, p. 154) FDR’s audience varied from 10 percent of radio homes for a speech in June 1936 to a record breaking 79% for his fireside chat following Pearl Harbor. (Roosevelt, Fireside Chat) Download 0.63 Mb. Share with your friends:
|