The first public lecture of the fall semester will be held September 9, 2014, at 7:00 pm in Twomey Auditorium (Wood Building room 100).  Dr. Dan Crews will present "World War I and the Mexican Revolution," which will detail American political and military policies towards Mexico in the first two decades of the twentieth century.

Dr. Crews describes his talk:

Historians often use labels to identify periods of time that they consider to have an underlying theme that permeates all aspects of life.  One such label is the Age of Imperialism, 1870-1918.  During this era practically the entire world was divided among the European Powers, the United States, and Japan into formal colonies or informal protectorates and recognized spheres of influence.  Massive foreign investment in Mexico fueled dramatic economic growth that exacerbated social inequality and led to the Mexican Revolution, 1910-1920.  The most deadly period of that revolution occurred during World War I as the Great Powers shifted their support from one faction to another.  President Woodrow Wilson's policies to 'guide' the Mexican Revolution and turn Mexico into a quasi-protectorate failed repeatedly as Mexican leaders balanced U.S. influence with that of Great Britain and Imperial Germany.  This lecture will explain how, in the midst of revolutionary chaos, Mexico retained its complete sovereignty from a neighbor that was indisputably the greatest power on Earth at the end of the Age of  Imperialism.

We hope to see you on September 9 for another installment of the Great War History Lecture Series at UCM!