FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT AND THE SHADOW OF WAR—1933-1941

1. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT AND THE SHADOW OF WAR—1933-1941 Chapter 34

2. Crash Course http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q78COTwT7nE

3. The London Conference • Roosevelt’s willing to be an isolationist if it would help the domestic economy. • 66 nations meet. Purpose and primary goal • Roosevelt pulls the rug out from underneath the conference and nothing is accomplished • Unwilling to sacrifice the possibility of domestic recovery for international cooperation • Results: • World depression gets worse and everyone pursues their own policies. • Leads to an increase in nationalism. • Reduces chances for international cooperation on other issues

4. Philippines and Russia • Why was US ready to give up the Philippines? • $$$$ • Tydings-McDuffie Act in 1934—Provided for the independence of the Philippines after a twelve-year period of economic tutelage. • Gave up army bases, but keep Naval bases • 1933 US recognized the Bolshevik regime in USSR. • Why? • Trade $$$

5. Becoming A Good Neighbor • Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor Policy • Impact in Latin America • Non Intervention • Marines removed from Haiti • Cuba released from Platt Amendment • Panama • Reasons were somewhat selfish. • Policy receives a test in 1938 when Mexicans seize American oil properties. • Policy was a great success

6. Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act (1934) • Secretary of State Cordell Hull. • Aimed at both relief and recovery. • Whittled down the worst parts of Hawley-Smoot. • President had authority without consulting Congress. Benefits? • Faster • Less high pressure lobbying • Rationale for Act ? • Get agreements with 21 countries

7. Totalitarianism • Stalin – USSR • Mussolini – Italy • Hitler - Germany

8. Rise of Hitler in Germany • Germans economically crushed by Versailles treaty. Desperate and resentful • Hitler a powerful orator and politically aggressive • Germany has a potent industrial base and technological talent. • US made things worse by refusing to ratify the League of Nations, thus eliminating the moral strength of that body.

9. Hitler • Withdrew from League of Nations • Re-arming • Rome-Berlin Axis

10. Japan and Italy • Japan also a growing threat. • Resentful. Why? • Growing increasingly militaristic • Lusted after space and resources of neighbors. Why? • 1934 terminated the Washington Naval Treaty and started aggressively building navy. American response? • Tripartite Pact – Germany, Italy, Japan • 1935 Mussolini attacks Ethiopia. Easily crushes it. • Seeking glory and empire for Italy in Africa • League of Nation reaction? Reason?

11. Isolationism • Why didn’t America Act? • Distracted by the depression • Vividly recall the losses of WWI • feel safe behind the protection of two oceans, • largely believed that what happened in the rest of the world didn’t effect them. • Rise of fascists increased desire to avoid entanglement. • Johnson Debt Default Act – can’t borrow $ from US if you aren’t paying your debts Better Keep to the Old Channel

12. Congress Legislates Neutrality • Who does the public now blame for WWI? • Senator Gerald Nye • “merchants of death” • Congress passes Neutrality Acts in 1935, 36 and ’37 • Basic Rule?

13. Effect of Neutrality Acts • Is an abandonment of Americas traditional policy of freedom of the high seas and the right of Americans to ship to both sides in a war. • Effectively removed America from the arena as an agent that can stop or blunt war and aggression. Made America reactive and at the mercy of world events. • Encouraged totalitarian regimes and hurt democratic ones, because they received no aid from US.

14. America Dooms Loyalist Spain • The Spanish Civil War (1936-39) shows fallacy of Neutrality policy • Franco and other fascist rebels tried to overthrow the left-leaning but democratic government of Spain. Franco is aided by Hitler and Mussolini. • Congress prohibits aid to EITHER side. • Condemns democratic Spain to slow strangulation • Dictators believe that Democracies will not take action to stop them.

15. Whittling Down the Big Stick • State of American military compared to Germany and Japan. • America failed to build up arms to deter aggressors • Americans attitude toward navy. • Decline in strength • Effect of depression • Sparing taxpayers • Reaction to FDR’s call for increased military preparedness • No support, too little too late

16. Appeasing Japan • 1937 Japan invades Manchuria with the intent of making it a Japanese colony. Why? • Resources • Roosevelt refuses to call this a war. Why? • Neutrality Acts • Fall 1937 Roosevelt makes famous Quarantine Speech • What does he call for? • Quarantine the aggressors • How does Congress and Country react. • Protests - isolationism • Dec. 1937, USSPanay • Japanese bombed and sank our boat • Japan abuses Americans in China. Thinks US wimpy

17. Hitler on the Rise • 1935 breaches Versailles treaty by reintroducing the draft. • 1936 marches troops into the demilitarized Rhineland • Britain and France reaction. • Hitler begins to persecute and discriminate against the Jews. • 1937 starts building the military at an aggressive pace, • March 1938 Hitler marches without resistance into Austria • Hitler then begins making demands for the Sudetenland

18. Munich Conference • Allies desperate to avoid war. • Munich Conference 9/38 • Democracies have no real leverage. Appeasement • Germany gets Sudetenland. • What does it promise? • Neville Chamberlain: “Peace in our time”

20. Hitler-Stalin Pact/ Non-aggression Treaty • France-England attempt to negotiate a mutual defense pact with Stalin. • Why don’t they get one? • Mutual suspicions • August, 1939, Stalin-Hitler sign a non-aggression pact. • Stalin’s motive? • Seals the fate of Europe. • Poland. • Hitler’s demand on Poland.

22. WWII Begins • Poland refuses and Germany marches in unleashing its Blitzkrieg 9/1/39. • WWII has begun. • Stalin moves into Eastern Poland • England and France declare war, but can’t do much about Poland, which surrenders in three weeks.

23. US Reaction to Fall of Poland • Roosevelt issues proclamation of neutrality. Consequences? • US attitude toward war. • Roosevelt wants to amend Neutrality Acts • Knows that European democracies are unprepared and will not win on their own. • Wants to lift the arms-sale restrictions entirely. • But, knows that neither the nation nor Congress is ready for that.

24. Cash and Carry • FDR calls a special session of Congress; passes Neutrality Act of 1939 • Cash-and-Carry • Selling point of Cash and Carry? • America could avoid loans, war debts, and torpedoing of American arms-carriers • Purchases from England and France help lift US economy

25. Hitler Runs Amok • April 1940 Hitler attacks Denmark and Norway. • May attacks Netherlands and Belgium, then France. • June 1940 France is forced to surrender • Miracle of Dunkirk • Very significant because saves a huge chunk of British army. • US shocked by quick fall of France • Impact on public attitude • Scared – if Britain falls, Hitler will have all of Europe • Threat to US of German domination Europe

26. US Starts to Arm • FDR calls for building of huge air fleet and a two-ocean navy - check both Germany and Japan. • Congress approves $37 Billion • More than the cost of WWI and 5-times larger than any annual budget for New Deal. • Congress passes a Conscription Law, Sept. 1940. • America’s first peace-time draft. • Havana Conference of 1940 • Orphaned colonies in Latin America • US Agreed to share with its twenty New World neighbors to responsibility of upholding the Monroe Doctrine

27. Battle of Britain • August 1940 Battle of Britain begins • Battle rages for months. • German advantages • British advantages. • British planes chew up Luftwaffe

28. Battle of Britain in US • Impact of radio reports on Battle of Britain on US public opinion. • Sympathy • Hitler eventually indefinitely postpones invasion—huge mistake.

29. Fortress America? • Issue: Whether to provide scarce resources to GB or to husband all resources so that available to US • What do supporters of aid argue? • What do those against aid argue? • America First Committee • Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies

30. Destroyer Deal • British in desperate need of destroyers. Why? • German Submarines • Destroyer Deal • Britain would get 50 US destroyers • Britain would hand over 8 defensive bases for 99 years • Isolationists scream • Is a clear departure from neutrality • But public opinion supported all aid to GB short of war.

31. Wilkie? • In 1940 Republicans nominate Wendell Wilkie. • Wilkie does not exploit resentment against FDR among isolationists

32. FDR Three-peat • FDR keeps the country in suspense, but decides to run for a third term. • FDR pledges that “Your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars.” • FDR wins easily, but not as triumphantly as the first two times. • FDR might not have won if not for war. Also might not have run.

34. Lend-Lease • By late 1940 Cash and Carry not working for Britain. Why? • Britain running out of $$$ • FDR knows that Congress will not approve cash loans to allies. • Proposes Lend-lease. How does it work? • Send limitless supply of arms to the victims of the aggression • Keep the war “over there” • FDR proposes making the US the arsenal of democracy. • This bill is vigorously debated throughout the nation. • Passes in March, 1941. Was a clear declaration of hostility to Hitler. • May, 1941 Germans sink first US merchant ship • Robin Moor

35. Atlantic Charter • June 1941 Hitler invades the Soviet Union and opens up a second front in his rear. • Takes the pressure off GB and divides his army. • What is he thinking? • Take oil rich Soviet Union and have two free hands to defeat Britain • Soviets are on the edge of defeat. • Roosevelt extends Lend-Lease to Soviets. Extends $1 Billion of what will eventually be $11 Billion. • Atlantic Conference -8/41. First of a series of meetings between Churchill and Roosevelt.

36. Atlantic Charter • Leads to 8-point plan for post-war world. Atlantic Charter. Similar to Wilson’s 14 points • Pledges that countries will not have borders changed • Self determination and return to pre-war governments • League of nations type organization.

37. U.S. Destroyers And Hitler’s U-boats • Lend-Lease to GB was faltering. Why? • Sunk by German subs • FDR response • Convoy system • Clashes with Subs— • 9/41—Greer attacked without damage • 10/41—Kearny attacked but not sunk • 10/41—Reuben James sunk with loss of more than 100. • Congress pulls Neutrality legislation and authorizes the arming of Merchant ships.

38. In the meantime……out in the Pacific • Japan is mired in China. US is pressuring them to get out • Japan is heavily dependent on US steel, oil, gasoline and other war supplies. If US cuts them off, Japan is toast. • FDR reluctant to impose sanctions. Why? • He didn’t want to goad Tokyo into attacking the oil-rich Dutch East Indies • Late 1940 US does impose sanctions. • 1941 freeze Japanese assets and ends all oil shipments. • Japan’s choices • Give up • Attack the oil supplies in SE Asia • US has broken code and knows that Japan plans to attack somewhere. • Warnings from US to Pearl Harbor are late in arriving.

39. Pearl Harbor • December 7, 1941 Japanese aircraft carriers launch waves of attack planes. Destroy most of US Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor. • 8 battleships, most of aircraft, 3000 casualties. • But, three US carriers were out to sea and were spared. • Japanese failed to destroy repair facilities, allowing US to stay at Pearl and repair the fleet. Big mistake. • Next day—Congress declares war. • Japan and Germany are allies—Germany and Italy then declare war on US. U.S. declares war on Germany. We are in.

45. FDR Signs Declaration of War