DOr: 10.22403/UQROOMNRMCO3/O5 RELACIONES MILITARES ESTADOS UNIDOS-NICARAGUA. DURANTE LA SEGUNDA GUERRA MUNDIAL ProweM,tesaay iment of Hi Univeriy of North Forde Resuat Par analyse de a politique miltairenordaméricaine envers le Niars- gua durant laSeconde Guccre Mondiale, auteur examine la thise qui donne aux USA la volonté dlibérce de promouvoi le développement de la Garde Nationale du Nicaragua. Carle, dans sa conclusion, souligne que Vobjecif de la politigue des USA consstait moins 3 Favorisr directement la Garde Nationale que de défendre la région conte les allagues extrieues dans le cadre de la Seconde Cucere Mondiale et dan celui d'une défense d'aprés guerre. Au cours de cette période, Somoca se pllgnat régultrement du manque d'appul mill tne dea pat des USA. Les autortés de ce pays, consients du fait que Somoza voulait utiliser fa modemizaton de ia Garde dans le but @etoufter ses opposants pallies, lls wont fnalement pas ment jusqu’au bout leur programme assistance militaire dans lea ances Uhl buivirent immédiatement la Seconde Guerre Mondiale ‘SaMENvaTTING Het artikel analyscert de militaire politiek van de Verenigde Staten ten opzichte van Nicaragua tijdens de Tweede Wereld Oorlog, speciaal de stelling dat de Verenigde Staten bewust de ontwikkeling van de sraguaase Nationale Garde had bevorderd, De auteur conchideert dat de doelstelling van de politiek van de Verenigde Staten was niet de Degunstiging van de Nicaraguaanse Nationale Garde, maar de verde- diging van de regio tegen externe aanvallen binnen de context van de ‘Tweede Wereldoorlog en van de defensie strategie in de jaren daamna, In deze periode klaagde Somoza constant over het gebrek aan militaire hulp van de kant van de Verenigde Staten. De autoriteiten van de ‘Verenigde Staten waen niet onbekend met het feit dat Somoza wilde de modernisering van de Nationale Garde gebruiken om zijn poli- *ke tegenstanders te vervolgen en daarom hadden zij de realiserit van de militaire hulp tjdens de jaren na de Tweede Wereldoorlog stopgezet, (70) RIC, 31997, 170198DOE: 10.22403/UQROOMN/RMCO3/06 UNITED STATES-NICARAGUAN MILITARY RELATIONS DURING WORLD WAR IL uous M, Leowan partment of Histor University of North Flori “AnsrRacT In examining US, military policy toward Nicaragua during World Wail the aticle questons the validity ofthe thesis that the US. Aelberately pursued «policy that fostered the development of the Nicaraguan National Guard. The author concludes thatthe United States didnot pursue said policy except to place it within the context of World War and postwar defense strategies focused on protecting the region from external attack. In this period Somoza was Constantly Compltining about the Ick of military support by the United States ‘The US. authorities understood that Somoza wanted to use the mod: Crmiation ofthe Guard in oer to silence his politcal opponents and therefore they refused to implement the military assstanee program in the years immediately after World Wa I REsuMeN ‘Alanalizar la politica militar estadounidense hacia Nicaragua durante Ja Segunda Guerra Mundial, el autor cuestiona la tesis de que los Estados Unidos deliberadamente promovieron el desarrollo dela Guar- dia Nacional Nicaragtiense, El articulo concluye que el objetivo de la politica estadounidense no era favorecer directamente a la Guardia ‘Nacional Nicaragtiense, sino defender la regién contra ataques externos dentro del contexto de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y de la estrategia de defensa de posguerra. En este periodo Somoza se quejaba constante- ‘mente dela falta de apoyo militar por parte de los Estados Unidos. Las autoridades estadounidenses comprendieron que Somoza quiso utili- zar la moderizacién de la Guardia Nacional para silenciar a sus opo- rentes politicos y por eso rechazaron llevar a cabo un programa de asistencia militar en los fos inmediatos a la Segunda Guerra Mundial, MC, 311997, 170198 uywr ‘Thomas M. Leonard Tr collapse of the Somoza dynasty in Nicaragua in July 1979 and the “Contra War” during the 1980s produced a plethora of litera- ture, much of which traced the long-stariding influence of the United States in that country’s internal affairs. Regarding the Somoza dyn- asty, the conventional wisdom argued that the United States shored up the regime because of its continued support of U.S. policies from World War Il through the Cold War. Everyone who pursued this argument agreed with Richard Millett’ early assertion that the Nica- raguan National Guard remained the regime's strongest prop and that when it collapsed in the spring of 1979, so too, did Somoza. As Millett explains in his Guardians ofthe dynasty, the U.S. created the Guardia in the mid 1920s as a non-political police force, but instead it evolved into the personal tool of the Somoza regime. Throughout its existence the US. continued to provide the Guardia with the most modern equipment and training.’ In examining U.S. military policy toward Nicaragua during World War Il, this paper intends to examine the validity of the thesis that the US. deliberately pursued a policy that fostered the development of the Nicaraguan National Guard.? 2 Millet 1977, Historical accounts that place Nicaragua within the Central American framework include: Woodward, 1985; Bethell, 191; Pere-Brignol, 1989; and Tores- Rivas, 1995. Among the more salient works on Nicaragua are: Booth, 1982; and Watker, 1981. The nineteenth century is described by Burns, 1991. The Somoza dynasty is the ‘subject of Diederich, 1989, For a more sympathetic account of the fist Someza see Walters, 1993. General surveys of United States-Cental American relations that include Nicaragua are: Coatsworth, 1984; Finding, 1987; LaFeber, 1983; and Leonard, 1991, The only Survey in English or Spanish of US-Nicaraguan relations s Berman, 1986. Clark, 1992, Concludes that with few exceptions the United States did not identify itelf with the fist Somo ‘Among the more important studies of the events leading tothe end ofthe Somoza dynasty ar: Pastor 1987; Lake, 1989; Morley, 1994; Kagan, 1996; and Somoza (as told to Jack Clark), Nicaragua beirayed, Boston, Western Islands, 1980, During the final year ofthe Somoza regime, US. Ambassador Mauricio Solaun also judged the Guardia iobe ‘Somoza's last bastion of support. See Leonard, 1997. During World Wat Il, the United States also constructed naval stations at Money Penny Anchorage inthe Gulf of Fonseca ad Corinto on Nicaragua's west coast and an air station at Puerto Cabezas on Nicaragua's northeast coast to serve as defense sites {forthe Panama Canal. Operated by the US. forthe war's duration, these bases had no relationship to Nicaragua's National Guard. See: Office for the Center of Military History, Washington, D.C, Caribbean Defense Command File 8:28 NI, "Nicaragua's War Effort 1321 [hereafter referred to as cee and coc]; United States National ‘Archives, Washington, D.C, Record Group 58, Decimal File 817.7962/36, September 25,1942 and 817,7962/44, Febroacy 19,194; x 59 Decimal File 817 911/1, August 22, 1942; 2639 Lot Files Nicaragua, March 7, 1946, March’, 1946 nd May 8, 1946 [hereafter aac, 3097, 170198