The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War

Summary (from the publisher): On the success of his two bestselling books about World War II, James Bradley began to wonder what the real catalyst was for the Pacific War. What he discovered shocked him.

In 1905 President Teddy Roosevelt dispatched Secretary of War William Taft, his daughter Alice, and a gaggle of congressmen on a mission to Japan, the Philippines, China, and Korea with the intent of forging an agreement to divide up Asia. This clandestine pact lit the fuse that would-decades later-result in a number of devastating wars: WWII, the Korean War, and the communist revolution in China.

In 2005, James Bradley retraced that epic voyage and discovered the remarkable truth about America's vast imperial past. Full of fascinating characters brought brilliantly to life, The Imperial Cruise will powerfully revise the way we understand U.S. history.

 

Review:  In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt dispatched Secretary of War William Taft, his daughter Alice, seven senators, and twenty-three congressman on the largest diplomatic delegation to Asia in U.S. history. The hidden agenda of the trip was to forge a secret pact to divide up Asia. Bradley asserts that it was Roosevelt's enthusiastic encouragement of Japan conquering Korea, as well as his botched diplomacy with China, that paved the way for WWII, the Korean War, and the communist revolution in China.

 

Although supposedly about the cruise of "Princess" Alice and her travel companions, this book spends relatively little on the titular trip and instead mostly dwells on the political and military history of the period that presaged the trip. Although I was somewhat discouraged to find this to be more of a sweeping historical narrative than a focused look at the trip, the background knowledge undoubtedly contributes to the reader's understanding of the significance of the diplomacy practiced during this grand tour of Asia.

 

Bradley asserts that Roosevelt was fueled by the notion that "American greatness was part of the Aryan westering," prompting brutal imperialism in the Philippines, Hawaii, and further west (67). Just as Roosevelt sought out the Wild West to cure his dandy and frail image, "overseas expansion was seen as a cure-all for the triple whammy of overcivilization, economic depression, and the end of the frontier" (69).  Justifying support for Japan by praising their adoption of Aryan ideals and customs, support was really just a temporary illusion in place for American economic gain.

 

Bradley sheds light on history that is rarely included in modern day accounts because of the negative portrait it paints of America. In particular, the description of American destruction, violence, and torture of Filipinos was difficult to read: "U.S. forces killed more than three thousand Filipino freedom fighters in twenty-four hours. [...] In the annals of warfare, few remember that more Filipinos died defending their country in that first day's storm than Americans died storming the beaches of Normandy on D-Day in World War II" (102). Although horrifying to read, the many mistakes America has made and the suffering of millions as a result should be recorded and remembered.

 

However, this work of revisionist history greatly oversimplifies the origins of World War II and lays the blame squarely on the shoulders of Theodore Roosevelt. "Theodore Roosevelt stands as the first world leader to endorse with promises and actions Japan's advancement onto the Asian continent. Like America's earlier expansion, this westward movement would leave millions dead" (313). He goes further, arguing that Roosevelt's actions would lead "over thirty million victims to early graves" (320). Bradley believes that Roosevelt was a public relations expert, who studiously created his own legend: "even his private correspondence to his children - called posterity letters - were self-consciously written to enhance his historical legacy" (332). In short, he asserts that the vast majority of Americans and historians have long been duped into believing that Roosevelt was the man we've been told he is. Although the actions of both Roosevelt and America towards multiple other countries during this time period is inexcusable and shameful, I find his argument oversimplified and at times flawed.

 

Stars: 3