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1. The formation and purpose of the veterans
In 1932, economic conditions across the United States deteriorated as the Great Depression continued to oppress. For many World War I veterans, it has been an incredibly difficult year. Unemployment and poverty became a daily part of their lives, and the only salvation they saw was the severance of the military payout, which was supposed to be paid years later. According to the 1924 legislation, veterans' compensation would be paid in 1945, but this was clearly not enough to meet the needs of veterans who were in dire need of funds to tide over the difficult times.
After the government failed to respond to their request for early payment of their retirement pay, many veterans decided to take action. They traveled from all over the United States to Washington, D.C., with their families, and some with all their possessions, toward the Capitol. Their goal was clear, to force the government to change the schedule for military payouts by putting direct pressure on Congress.
As time went on, more and more veterans joined the protest. They pitched tents near the Capitol to form a makeshift but massive camp. In these tent cities, veterans share extremely limited resources. They borrowed water from the surrounding residents, distributed food from the dry food they brought from home, and stayed day and night on the land they hoped would change their fate. Despite the difficult conditions, the group of people, known as the "Veterans", showed unwavering determination.
From early May to June 15, these World War I veterans became almost a non-negligible part of the neighborhood of the Capitol. Their camp spans several blocks and consists of tents, makeshift shelters, and various vehicles that are their temporary homes after a long journey.
In the hot summer months, daily material needs become one of their biggest challenges. Water is a basic need for their survival. Members of the Army usually go to the homes of nearby residents to ask for running water. Although these requests have increased the burden on local residents, many Washingtonians have shown compassion and are willing to share their water sources. In that time of economic hardship, this small act of kindness was a manifestation of people's support and respect for veterans.
In terms of diet, the veterans rely mainly on the dry food they bring from home. These dry foods typically include hard bread, bacon, and beans, which can be kept for long periods of time without refrigeration facilities. They also sometimes receive food donations from charitable groups and individuals, which provide the necessary material support for their protests. During that time, a sense of community was formed among the veterans, sharing limited resources and ensuring that everyone had access to food and water.
At night, they usually lay blankets or canvases on the spot and rest on the grass in the Congress Square. These rudimentary sleeping arrangements reflect the difficult situation they faced, but also show their determination to persist in protest. As night falls, there is usually a quiet enveloping the vicinity of the Capitol, with only the occasional conversation of the night watchman or the roar of cars in the distance.
Despite the difficult living conditions, the presence of these veterans had a profound impact on Washington's daily life. Their persistence has not only attracted widespread media attention, but has also prompted political leaders to confront this immediate challenge. Day in and day out, these veterans use their presence to remind governments and the public that they are a people who cannot be ignored and that their needs and sacrifices deserve to be valued.
2. The passage and obstruction of the Partman Act
As the protests by the Veterans near the Capitol intensified, divisions within the U.S. government over how to handle the crisis. Against this background, the House of Representatives made a decision in relative support for veterans, passing the Patelman Act. The core of the bill is the immediate payment of the benefits to veterans to which they are entitled, and is intended to alleviate the widespread economic hardship caused by the Great Depression and the urgent needs of veterans.
The House decision has raised a certain amount of expectation among veterans who are looking forward to the administration's swift implementation of the bill's promises to address their pressing financial woes. However, the legislation soon ran into obstruction in the Senate under the influence of President Hoover. President Hoover had reservations about the immediate payment of military pay, largely because he feared it would further burden the federal government's finances. In his view, while the needs of veterans are real, direct cash payments could undermine the government's ability to deal with other economic issues.
When the Patman bill was defeated in the Senate, news quickly reached the Veterans camp outside the Capitol. This news is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the long-awaited veterans. The failure of the bill not only dashed their hopes, but also deepened their dissatisfaction and resentment with the government. Their long wait and protests in Washington seemed to have failed to change the government's stance, a feeling that made the atmosphere of the protests even more tense and frustrating.
At the same time, President Hoover's decision-making has caused controversy within political circles. Some politicians believe that the Pattman Act should be supported, arguing that the government has a responsibility to address the real problems of veterans, especially in the context of the Great Depression. They believe that direct financial assistance to veterans is not only a reward for their service, but also a necessary measure to stabilize social order and maintain the government's image.
Opponents worry that immediate payment of military benefits would set an unbearable precedent that could pose a long-term threat to federal financial security by pressuring the government to advance their due money because of financial hardship in the future. This view prevailed in the Senate, which ultimately led to the defeat of the Patman Act.
3. The occupation of the building of the Ministry of Finance and the initial conflict
After the Patman Act was vetoed by the Senate, the tactics of the Veterans shifted from their previous peaceful protests to more direct and radical actions. They chose the U.S. Treasury Department building in Washington as a new protest base. The Treasury building's strategic location in the heart of the core area of state power was so important that the veterans occupied the building to put more pressure on the government to ignore their needs.
Hundreds of veterans quickly surrounded the Treasury building, using flags, banners and improvised barricades in their hands to set up a defensive line. They occupied the main entrance and windows of the Treasury building, and veterans set up sentinel posts inside and outside the building to ensure that they were not disturbed by the outside world. This action quickly attracted the attention of the government.
President Hoover felt tremendous pressure on this, believing that the Veterans had gone beyond peaceful protest and into a blatant rebellion. After assessing the situation, Hoover issued an order to clear the Treasury building, tasking the Washington police with the task of carrying out the task. The police were given clear instructions that the occupation must be resolved as quickly and as peacefully as possible.
As the police arrived at the Treasury building, the situation quickly became tense. At first, the police tried to negotiate a voluntary departure of the veterans, but the conversation quickly broke down. The Veterans stood their ground, refused to evacuate, and set up more defenses in the building.
Eventually, the police received an order to forcibly evacuate. They began to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd in an attempt to empty the building. The veterans resisted with miscellaneous objects in their hands, including stones and other objects that could be thrown. In the process, some veterans and police personnel got into physical altercations. In the midst of the chaos, the situation deteriorated rapidly, and two veterans were tragically killed in the melee.
The deaths of the two veterans led to a further escalation of the incident. After the news broke, other veterans, as well as the public who supported them, reacted strongly, denouncing the government's handling of the matter too harshly. The gravity of the situation has drawn national attention, and many have begun to question the government's attitude towards veterans and its approach to solving the problem.
Fourth, MacArthur's intervention and the conflict with Washington
Under the orders of President Hoover, Army Chief of Staff Douglas MacArthur took over operations against the Veterans, marking a grim turning point in events. MacArthur did not consult widely in the decision-making process, but quickly issued an order to use force to clear the veterans. In his opinion, strong measures were necessary to restore order in the capital and end the occupation of the Treasury building and other sites by the Veterans.
By order of MacArthur, the US army used armored vehicles and infantry units, which were equipped with complete combat equipment, including rifles with bayonets. In addition, they prepared a large amount of tear gas to disperse the veterans who had gathered around the Treasury building and the Capitol building. The army's operations began, first of all, with orders to evacuate the veterans via loudspeakers, but these orders were ignored by most of the veterans.
When the clearance operation officially began, the first was the large-scale use of tear gas. The gas quickly filled the area occupied by the Veterans, causing great confusion and panic. As a result of the sudden attack of tear gas, many veterans and their families, including the elderly, women and children, were unable to evacuate in time, resulting in a large number of injuries.
Under the cover of tear gas, armored vehicles and infantry units began to advance. The might of armored vehicles and the tight organization of the army quickly suppressed any form of resistance. Infantry units advanced through the crowd using rifles with bayonets, trying to forcibly clear every protest area. In the process, the confusion and overreaction of the troops unfortunately resulted in the deaths of some veterans and their families.
During the conflict, some veterans attempted to construct makeshift barriers to block the army's advance, but these efforts were quickly suppressed in the face of heavily equipped troops. The armored vehicles not only destroyed the erected barriers, but also carried out a direct expulsion of the crowd.
In this case, the use of violence has attracted national attention and strong public repercussions. The military's treatment of veterans in their home countries has been widely covered in the media, and many have begun to question the government's handling of veteran protests. All sectors of society expressed their deep condolences and strong dissatisfaction with the veterans and their families who lost their lives in the Capitol Square. This bloody clean-up operation ultimately failed to solve the problem, but only exacerbated public distrust of the Hoover administration, and became a major and painful legacy of his presidency.
Reference: From Li Zhanfu, Zhang Shuheng, eds. Quick reading of world historical celebrities[M]. 2004