Does the current "crisis" in the Crimea have any historical precedents? Try this one on for size.
How about comparing U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt with Russian President Vladimir Putin?
Same determined scowl. But how can I compare these two. One a respected U.S President, even carved on Mt. Rushmore, and a dictatorial Russian leader who wants to start World War 3... and is not carved on Mt. Rushmore? Let's look at the record.
In 1902, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt has decided that he wants to build a canal across the isthmus of Panama. The only problem is that Panama is part of the country of Columbia.
Negotiations between the U.S. and Columbia begin, resulting in the Hay–Herrán Treaty, signed on January 22, 1903 between United States Secretary of State John M. Hay of the United States and Tomás Herrán of Colombia. Had it been ratified, it would have allowed the United States a lease that was to remain in force in perpetuity on a six-mile wide strip across the isthmus of Panama (then part of Colombia) for $10 million and an annual payment of $250,000, both payments being in gold coin. It was ratified by the United States Senate on March 14, 1903. On August 12 of that year, however, the treaty is rejected by the Colombian Senate. Now what?
Roosevelt won't give up. There is a wonderful opportunity here, because the Panamanians are not happy under Colombian rule and an independence movement has started a revolt against the ruling country. Teddy sees his chance.
On November 2 he orders warships to Panama to maintain “free and uninterrupted transit” across the isthmus. The next day, November 3, a revolt breaks out in Panama against Colombian rule. The uprising is sponsored by Panamanian agents and officers of the Panama Canal Company, with tacit permission of the Roosevelt administration. The presence of the American Navy prevents Colombia from crushing the revolt.
On November 6, the United States recognizes the Republic of Panama.
Less than two weeks later, November 18, the United States negotiates the Hay-Buneau-Varilla Treaty with Panama to build the Panama Canal. The treaty gives the United States control of a ten-mile-wide canal zone in return for $10,000,000 in gold plus a yearly fee of $250,000. Pretty quick action by good old Teddy to get his canal.
If this sounds vaguely like what is going on in Russia today, it is. Contrary to what our government says and what our newspaper report, the Crimea is not an integral part of the Ukraine. In fact, Crimea was only added to the Ukraine in 1954 by Nikita Khrushchev, for reasons unknown. Before that it had been a separate state in Russia, from as early as 1783.
Maps of the old Soviet Union clearly show the two states as separate.
When the Soviet Union broke up in the early 1990's the Crimeans wanted to establish themselves as a separate state. On 26 February 1992, the Crimean parliament) renamed the ASSR the Republic of Crimea and proclaimed self-government on 5 May 1992 and passed the first Crimean constitution the same day.
Then things get murky. On 6 May 1992 the same parliament inserted a new sentence into this constitution that declared that Crimea was part of Ukraine. They agreed to remain part of the Ukraine, but with reservations. On 14 October 1993, the Crimean parliament established the post of President of Crimea with a council of 14. However, political turmoil continued. Amendments to the constitution eased the conflict, but on 17 March 1995, the parliament of Ukraine intervened, scrapping the Crimean Constitution and removing Yuriy Meshkov (the President of Crimea) along with his office for his actions against the state and promoting integration with Russia. After an interim constitution, the current constitution was put into effect, changing the territory's name to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
The problem is the the Crimea has a majority of ethnic Russians who were unhappy with Ukrainian rule. Leading to the current crisis.
Now the big question. When Putin sent troops into the Crimea to aid the separatist movement there, was he acting with almost the same reasoning as Teddy in 1903?
It is interesting to see how various cartoonists viewed the United States in Panama, and Mr. TR.
(note the shoveling of dirt on Bogota, capitol of Colombia)
Fairly easy in the cartoons to put Putin in as TR and change the name of Panama to Crimea (though journalists continue to insist that Russian troops occupied the Ukraine instead of the Crimean peninsula.
Notice the label on the plank, the Roosevelt Doctrine. This was an addition to the Monroe Doctrine, which said that not only must Europeans stay out of the western hemisphere, the United States would use military force to enforce it.
Perhaps what Mr. Putin should do is proclaim a "Putin Doctrine" that says that all western powers are to stay out of affairs in Russia. Of course, we already have one of those proclaimed by our President Monroe. Fair is fair.
When we start talking about sanctions and so forth, and the danger of intervention of one nation in the affairs of another, we need to be careful what names we throw about. We could get the same names thrown back at us.
