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Images of World War II. Man of the Year 1938. Images of World War II. Images of World War II. Images of World War II. Images of World War II. Images of World War II. Images of World War II. Images of World War II. Images of World War II. Images of World War II. Images of World War II.
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Images of World War II Man of the Year 1938
From Neutrality to War 1933-1941
Introduction • U.S. Isolationism • Tradition since G. Washington • From WWI: Why?
Foreign Policy in the 1920’s • International Finance • U.S. leading creditor nation • Dawes and Young Plans for Germany • Washington Naval Conference, 1921-22 • 5:5:3:1.67 • Japan unhappy but… • Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928) • Ratified 85-1 by the Senate…
1930’s • Stimson Doctrine (1931) • Japan invades Manchuria • Non-recognition • Based on “Open Door” • FDR’s Foreign Policy
The Neutrality Acts • 1935, 1936, 1937 • The Origin: • The Nye Committee • Walter Millis’ “The Road to War”
Neutrality Act of 1935 (August) • Response to Italy’s attack on Ethiopia • President empowered to • Declare when a war exists and identify the “belligerents” • Declare an embargo on arms sales to all belligerents • Tell U.S. citizens they travel “at their own risk” on ships of belligerent nations
Neutrality Act of 1936 (Feb) • Expands 1935 law to include • Loans • Credits
Neutrality Act of 1937 • Continued ban on arms, loans and credit • Included civil wars (Spain) • President authorized to embargo “strategic materials” • Oil • Aviation gas • Steel and scrap iron
Neutrality Act of 1937 • U.S. Citizens Forbidden to travel on the ships of belligerent nations
The Neutrality Acts in Review • Origin in concern over involvement in WWI • Fueled by Isolationists’ desire to avoid “another WWI” • Forbid U.S. trade, especially in arms and “strategic materials” to “belligerent” nations • Made no distinction between “aggressor” and “victim”.
The Road to War1937-1941 • Outbreak of war complicated the U.S. neutrality and the Neutrality Acts • July, 1937: Japan Invades China • No doubt whose side we were on • Open Door Policy • Japanese expansion threatens U.S. interests in the Pacific: Philippines, Hawaii, etc
The Road to War1937-1941 • Neutrality Acts prohibited aid to both sides • No distinction between aggressor and victim
The Road to War1937-1941 • FDR Refuses to “recognize” a state of war • Japan never declared war officially • U.S. can send aid to China • Unintended consequence: Japan can buy whatever it wants from the U.S.
The Road to War1937-1941 • September 1, 1939: Germany Invades Poland – “Blitzkrieg”! • Beginning of WWII in Europe • Britain and France declare war on Germany • No doubt whose side U.S. is on • Knew much – but not all – about Hitler and Nazi Germany • Knew it was a genuine case of “making the world safe for democracy”
The Road to War1937-1941 • Congress Amends Neutrality Acts • “Cash and Carry” • First for “non-military” goods • Nov. 1939: military goods too • No loans or credits • Buyer must pick it up • Helps Britain and France w/o endangering neutrality (easier for them to “carry”) • No “financial interest” in the outcome • No U.S. ships become targets of U-Boats
The Road to War1937-1941 • Begins huge debate in the U.S. between “Internationalists” and “Isolationists” • Isolationists in Congress propose Constitutional amendment • National referendum required before Congress could declare war • Defeated by a vote of 209-188 • “America First” Committee • U.S. should focus on preparedness for war, not wasting aid on Allies • Led by Charles Lindbergh: “admirer” of German power
The Road to War1937-1941 • Internationalists • Led more and more by FDR • Advocate helping Allies so U.S. doesn’t have to fight • Also advocates “preparedness”
The Road to War1939-1941 • War complicates U.S. position (again) • May 1940: Germany attacks • Belgium • Netherlands • Denmark • Norway • France • June, 1940: France Falls!
The Road to War1939-1941 • 82% of Americans still favor staying out • Britain alone against “The Blitz” • 1940 election: war AND third term issue
The Road to War1939-1941 • U.S Begin to Prepare • FDR asks Congress to increase preparedness • Multi-billion military appropriations bill • Congress passes $5 billion naval bill • First ever peacetime draft: Sept 16, 1940 • Politics also complicates • 1940 is Presidential Election Year • Two Term Tradition is a Big Issue
The Road to War1940-1941 • FDR WINS THIRD TERM • 449-82 In Electoral College • Plans to expand aid to Britain: U.S. As the “Arsenal of Democracy” (Dec. 29, 1940) • Begins to form bipartisan support • Names Republicans to cabinet The Election of 1940
The Road to War1940-1941 • Roosevelt’s “State of the Union” Address • January 6, 1941 • The Four Freedoms
The Arsenal Of Democracy • The Lend Lease Act: • "An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States" • March 1941 • President authorized to • “Sell, Transfer, Exchange, Lease, Lend or otherwise dispose of” • “any defense article for the government of any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States.”
The Lend Lease Act • $50 billion between 1941 and 1945 ($720,596,368,644.55 at 2009 prices) • 60% to Great Britain: $31.4 BILLION • 20% to Soviet Union (June 1941) • 20% to others (France $3.2 billion; China $1.6 billion)
Aircraft 14,795 Tanks 7,056 Jeeps 51,503 Trucks 375,883 Motorcycles 35,170 Tractors 8,071 Guns 8,218 Machine guns 131,633 Explosives 345,735 tons Building equipment valued $10,910,000 Railroad freight cars 11,155 Locomotives 1,981 Cargo ships90 Submarine hunters105 Torpedo boats197 Ship engines7,784 Food supplies4,478,000 tons Machines and equipment$1,078,965,000 Non-ferrous metals802,000 tons Petroleum products2,670,000 tons Chemicals842,000 tons Cotton106,893,000 tons Leather49,860 tons Tires3,786,000 Army boots15,417,001 pairs Lend Lease to U.S.S.R. $11.3 Billion
The Road to War • FDR Moves Nation Toward War • claims “right of hemispheric defense” and declares “neutral zone” halfway across the Atlantic • Orders Navy to report U-Boats to GBR • Executive Agreement with Danish “government in exile” for bases in Greenland • September 1941: “Shoot on sight” order against German U-boats after U.S.S. Greer attacked
The Road to War Part II: The Pacific • 1937 Invasion of China • FDR doesn’t “recognize” as war to avoid Neutrality acts • We still provide 50% of Japan’s oil, steel and iron
The Road to War Part II: The Pacific • June, 1940: Japan occupies French Indochina • Sept 27, 1940 - Tripartite Pact signed by Germany, Italy and Japan • July 26, 1941 - Roosevelt freezes Japanese assets in United States and suspends relations
The Road to War Part II: The Pacific • Japan’s Dilemma • Needs raw materials from U.S.: oil, scrap iron, steel, aviation gas • U.S. imposes embargo: Get out of China! • Either get embargo lifted OR find other sources (East/South East Asia) • Japan begins to plan for war v. U.S.
