Photos of the American Invasion of Veracruz, Mexico (1914)- 03s in action

[Jeff L]

Enjoy.

-Jeff

[pickax]

Interesting bit of history, all but forgotten.
Thanks

[Griff Murphey]

Although at the time newly commissioned and somewhat different in appearance with basket masts, the USS TEXAS BB-35 was part of the fleet at Vera Cruz. She is preserved and on display at the San Jacinto Battlefield state park. Currently money is being raised to get her out of the water and properly preserved... the last dreadnought battleship from WW-1.

[bruce]

Cool photos. Just out of curiosity ... why were our soldiers there? Can't think of what might have been the burning national interest of the moment. Sincerely. bruce.

[Rick the Librarian]

It was a "slight" done to an American official that the Mexicans didn't apologize. Plus Woodrow Wilson didn't like the then-Mexican Government. If you want to read more, see if you can locate a copy of "The Landing at Veracruz" by Jack Sweetman. An older (ca. 1960s) book but a good account.

[clintonhater]

Plus Woodrow Wilson didn't like the then-Mexican Government.

Little more to it than that; with the revolution that began in 1910, Mexico's "government" was one military junta after another until 1920; government by assassination & insurrection. During this time, the Hearst papers agitated for a US invasion & annexation not merely to quell the chaos, but principally "for the good of the Mexican people." Was he wrong? Think of it, under US administration, a stable gov't, & considering the natural resources of Mexico, a prosperous economy, so no reason to invade the US.

[Rick the Librarian]

I was focusing on the reason for the landing at Veracruz - your comments are true about U.S. Mexican relations in that period. Still, I wouldn't have wanted to deal with occupying a whole country in total chaos with the state of the U.S. armed forces in 1914-1916. Plus with WWI around the corner.

That was the reason the Germans tried to get us involved - to leave them alone in Europe.

[clintonhater]

Still, I wouldn't have wanted to deal with occupying a whole country in total chaos with the state of the U.S. armed forces in 1914-1916. Plus with WWI around the corner.

If intervention had kept our country out of that utterly unnecessary war, that would have been all the more reason to do it! Might also have escaped the great flu epidemic that came back with returning doughboys.

[bruce]

Re: Intervention/WWI. Would say we had no business in Mexico. Other than selling equipment to either the Allies or the Central Powers, we had no business in WWI. If Wilson could have managed to keep his nose out of other people's business and simply let US businesses sell to the combatants, our nation would have come out the better for it. Germany was in no way any better or worse than Britain or France or Russia or any of the other little countries that comprised that thoroughly useless dustup. Had we stayed out of it the first time around, it is exceedingly likely that there'd not have been a second go around. Sincerely. bruce.

[clintonhater]

Other than selling equipment to either the Allies or the Central Powers, we had no business in WWI.

Great profits were made on the munitions sold to Britain (such as those secretly carried by the Lusitania), but because of the British blockade, none to Germany; which is why German-hater Wilson's "neutrality" was sheer hypocrisy.