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at the end of the 19th century, the territorial expansion of the United States across the continent came to an end

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new existential threats could now only come from abroad

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Theodore Roosevelt knew this and sought to promote an international police power

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to prevent other nations' chronic wrongdoing

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The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

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"Chronic wrongdoing, or an impotence which results in a general loosening of the ties of civilized society, may in America, as elsewhere, ultimately require intervention by some civilized nation, and in the Western Hemisphere the adherence of the United States to the Monroe Doctrine may force the United States, however reluctantly, in flagrant cases of such wrongdoing or impotence, to the exercise of an international police power."

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his goal was to secure the Western hemisphere from two international threats

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1. a possible Japanese expansion

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2. European colonialism

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1898 Cuban War against Spain

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Roosevelt fought with his own battalion, "The Rough Riders"

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1882 book, "The Naval War of 1812"

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an efficient navy is a precondition to keeping the nation safe

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1915: "Preparedness against war must be based upon efficiency and justice in the handling of ourselves in time of peace."

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Panama Canal

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France began work on the canal in 1881 but stopped due to engineering problems and a high worker mortality rate

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the United States took over the project in 1904, and opened the canal on August 15, 1914

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in 1999 the canal was taken over by the Panamanian government

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understood the the great powers were inclined to compete with each other

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essential to find way to resolve controversies in a peaceful way

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promoted the cause of international law and arbitration

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directly intervened between Russia and Japan to end their war in 1905

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for this he won the Nobel Peace Prize, the first U.S. president to do so

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sponsored the second peace conference in The Hague in 1908

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searched for a more stable system of international peace making

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during World War I, Roosevelt called for the United States to intervene

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in order to defeat Germany

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bring stability to Europe

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maintained that the power of the United States was essential for maintaining world order

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Theodore's view of security was based on three areas:

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1. sea power

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2. international intervention

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3. conflict mediation