Franklin Roosevelt’s Policies: 1933- 1938

1. Franklin Roosevelt’s Policies:1933- 1938

2. Good Neighbor Policy -Promised this policy during 1933 inaugural address -He chose to improve relations because (1) interventionism in support of dollar diplomacy no longer made economic sense due to depression and (2) the rise of militarist regimes in Germany and Italy prompted Roosevelt to seek Latin American’s cooperation in defending the region Pan-American conferences -In 1933, the Seventh Pan-American Conference in Montevideo, Uruguay -The U.S. delegation pledged never again to intervene in the internal affairs of a Latin American country -This means that FDR repudiated Theodore Roosevelt’s corollary of the Monroe Doctrine that justified intervention -At another convention in Buenos Aires, Argentina (1936), Roosevelt attended and pledged to submit future disputes to arbitration and also warned that if a European power attempted to commit acts of aggression, it would find “a Hemisphere wholly prepared to consult together for our mutual safety.”   Cuba -In 1934, Roosevelt persuaded Congress to nullify the Platt Amendment, retaining only the U.S. right to keep its naval base in Guantanamo Bay Mexico -In 1938, Mexican president, Lazaro Cardenas, seized oil properties owned by U.S. corps. -Roosevelt rejected demands to intervene and encouraged American companies to negotiate a settlement Pan American Conference, Montevideo 1933

3. Economic Diplomacy Helping U.S. economy was the chief motivation for Roosevelt’s policies toward other foreign policy London Economic Conference (1933) -During Hoover’s last months in office, he agreed to allow U.S. participation in an international economic conference called by the League of Nations -Roosevelt initially supported the efforts but when proposals were made to stabilize currencies, he feared that this would heard his own recovery plans, and withdrew support -The conference than ended Recognition of the Soviet Union -Republican presidents of 1920s refused to give diplomatic recognition to the Communists of Soviet -Roosevelt granted recognition in 1933 -His reason was to increase U.S. trade and boost the economy Philippines -Tydings-McDuffie Act (1934): provided for the independence of the Philippines by 1946 and gradual removal of U.S. military presence from the islands -In 1935, the Philippines elected a new president under a new constitution even though U.S. was still in control Reciprocal Trade Agreements -Roosevelt favored lower tariffs as a means of increasing international trade -In 1934, Congress enacted a plan suggested by Secretary of State Hull, giving the President power to reduce U.S. tariffs up to 50% for nations that reciprocated with comparable reductions for U.S. imports

4. Events Abroad: Fascism and Aggressive Militarism Italy -A new regime seized power in 1922 -Benito Mussolini led Italy’s Fascist party, which attracted dissatisfied war veterans, nationalists, and those afraid of rising communism -Dressed in black shirts, Fascists marched on Rome and installed Mussolini in power as “II Duce” (leader) -Fascism: the idea that people should glorify their nation and their race through an aggressive show of force -Became dominant ideology in European dictatorship in the 1930s Germany -Nazi party arose in the 1920s in reaction to deplorable economic conditions after the war and national resentment over the Treaty of Versailles -The Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler, used bullying tactics and Fascist ideology to increase popularity with unemployed German workers -Hitler played upon anti-Semitic hatreds -He gained control of the German government in 1933, with his personal “brown shirt” army Japan -Nationalists and militarists gained power in 1920s and 30s -They persuaded Japan’s ruler, the emperor, the best way to ensure access to basic raw materials (oil, tin, iron) was to invade China and Southeast Asia and thereby give Japan control of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

5. American Isolationists -Disillusioned with results from WWI, American isolationists wanted to make sure that the U.S. would not be drawn in to another foreign war -Isolationists were strong in the Midwest and among Republicans Revisionist history of World War I -Many believed the U.S. entry into WWI was a terrible mistake -The idea bolstered in Congress by an investigating committee led by Senator Gerald Nye -The committee concluded in 1934 that the main reason for U.S. participation in WWI was to serve the greed of bankers and arms manufacturers -This committee influenced isolationists Neutrality acts -Isolationists held a majority in Congress through 1938 -To ensure neutrality, Congress adopted a series of acts signed by Roosevelt -Applied to nations that the president proclaimed at war -The Neutrality Act of 1935: authorized the president to prohibit all arms shipments and to forbid U.S. citizens to travel on ships of belligerent nations -The Neutrality Act of 1936: forbade the extension of loans and credits to belligerents -The Neutrality Act of 1937: forbade the shipment of arms to the opposing sides in the civil war in Spain America First Committee -In 1940, after WWII had begun, the isolationists became alarmed with Roosevelt’s pro-British policies -They formed the America First Committee and engaged speakers like Charles Lindbergh traveled across the country warning against the folly of getting involved with Europe’s troubles a second time Spanish civil war -The outbreak of civil war in Spain in 1936 was viewed in Europe/U.S. as an ideological struggle between fascism, led by General Francisco Franco, and republicanism, called Loyalists -Roosevelt and Americans sympathized with Loyalists but could not do anything due to Neutrality Acts -In 1939, the Fascists won and established a military dictatorship