More than Good Neighbors and Banana Republics:  How US-Dictator Relations Affected Regime Survival in the Cases of Nicaragua's Anastasio Somoza García and Honduras' Tiburcio Carías

The United States played an important role in Central America throughout the first half of the 20th century. However, despite far-reaching similarities between the different Central American countries and the fact that the US did not differentiate between them in its foreign policy approach, significant differences in the political developments of the Central American republics occurred during this period. Using a comparative method to investigate two such cases, namely the nondemocratic administrations of Anastasio Somoza García in Nicaragua and Tiburcio Carías Andino in Honduras, this thesis demonstrates that the manner in which the individual Central American leaders used their agency to shape the relationship between their respective administration and the United States was the crucial factor determining the different outcomes in regime survival. This was for an important part due to the fact that both nondemocratic regimes studied relied on their military to stay in power, and...Show moreThe United States played an important role in Central America throughout the first half of the 20th century. However, despite far-reaching similarities between the different Central American countries and the fact that the US did not differentiate between them in its foreign policy approach, significant differences in the political developments of the Central American republics occurred during this period. Using a comparative method to investigate two such cases, namely the nondemocratic administrations of Anastasio Somoza García in Nicaragua and Tiburcio Carías Andino in Honduras, this thesis demonstrates that the manner in which the individual Central American leaders used their agency to shape the relationship between their respective administration and the United States was the crucial factor determining the different outcomes in regime survival. This was for an important part due to the fact that both nondemocratic regimes studied relied on their military to stay in power, and the extent to which these militaries in turn relied on US support differed as a result of different leadership decisions. Based on such findings, this thesis argues for a revised explanation of US-Central American relations during the 20th century, away from the widespread but incorrect “Banana Republic” narrative which overlooks Central American agency.Show less

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More than Good Neighbors and Banana Republics: How US-Dictator Relations Affected Regime Survival in the Cases of Nicaragua's Anastasio Somoza García and Honduras' Tiburcio Carías