"The Republican Roosevelt", John M. Blum (1954)

Résumé du document

John M. Blum's biography, The Republican Roosevelt is a masterful analysis of Roosevelt as a man and a President that restores Theodore Roosevelt as a serious statesman, after Henry F. Pringle's book, 'Theodore Roosevelt : A biography'. Yet it is difficult to assess Theodore Roosevelt's life and influence on American history through this reading. Surprisingly, the author alludes to many precise examples of the American history to portray the 26th President's complex character assuming that the reader knows perfectly the historical context of his life. Besides, I believe that biographies, which by definition focus on the deeds of one single person, leads to a restrictive approach when it comes to contemplate the evolution of a whole country.

Extraits

[...] We could see other evidences of his innovating spirit in the way he used parties or Congress and manipulated public life to reach his goals. This new way of doing politics is probably the reason it is so difficult to reach a consensus about TR's life, personality and success but people will always remember him as a popular figure. Pringle, Henry F., Theodore Roosevelt: A Biography. New York, Harcourt Brace The Republican Roosevelt, Blum. p The Republican Roosevelt, Blum. p in The Republican Roosevelt, Blum. p The Republican Roosevelt, Blum. p «Roosevelt loves power» p The Republican Roosevelt, Blum. p The Republican Roosevelt, Blum. [...]

[...] This is particularly true in Chapter V - President and People when he describes Theodore Roosevelt actions in foreign affairs such as his intervention in the financial affairs of Santo Domingo[15] I formerly mentioned. Therefore, it is really difficult for a reader poorly informed on this events to understand the outcomes or to have a critical thinking on this topic. This is all the more problematic that Blum often tackles questions that are not obvious and sometimes debated between historians. For instance Blum never specifies why, how and to what extent Theodore Roosevelt «intervened successfully to terminate war between Russia and Japon». [...]

[...] After facing problems in New York State he concluded that the government was the best actor to address «determining forces of American society»[5]. The interest in power and the energetic cult Blum examines, can easily justify why Roosevelt was so eager to implement effective policies by direct governmental actions. Roosevelt was adept in the use of power and acted several times to have more[7]. This is all the more true that in Blum's opinion Theodore Roosevelt is a genius for the art of governance. He can roughly manipulate the public system. [...]

[...] However even in Latin America Roosevelt refused to admit that for instance the repression of Filipinos insurrection (1899 - 1901) was imperialism or militarism[19]. As a matter of fact, American foreign policy was different from european policies because it didn't turned into colonialism and came from a special national culture which takes its roots in immigration. Also American expansion wasn't characterized by conflicts with powers belonging to Western civilization, bounded for that by International Public Law. But if you take imperialism as the other side of the coin of power and expansionism, as the natural influence a power exercises, there is no wonder that the US was imperialist during TR's presidency and that his successors William H. [...]

[...] I think that this biography has a major importance in restoring Theodore Roosevelt's image. Blum managed to convince the reader that Roosevelt wasn't only the «cowboy», the colorful president many people think he is. He is a political genius who used the party as an instrument of action. The description Blum makes of Roosevelt's intercession during the strike of anthracite coal miners[13] in 1902 is a forceful demonstration of TR's skills. Likewise, this biography helps us understand the great ascendency Roosevelt had over domestic policy and international relations when he was in power. [...]