The Road to World War II

1. The Road to World War II APUSH: Chapter 25

2. ISOLATIONISM: MYTH OR REALITY? • Critics of foreign policy in the 1920s often cite ISOLATIONISM as the trend, since many Americans were disillusioned as a result of involvement in “Europe’s War” • ISOLATIONISM implies that the US is not involved in international affairs • In reality, the US played a very active role in world affairs during the 1920s– even if not aligned with Wilson’s vision: • League of Nations

3. PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED … • The Washington Conference (1921) • Limiting the Naval race • Five-Power Pact • Nine-Power Pact • Four-Power Pact • These actions limited armament of Italy and Japan, secured Japanese dominance in Asia, maintained China’s Open Door, and re-established territorial agreements among those who signed

4. PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED … • The Kellogg-Briand Pact • France and US officials propose a multi-lateral treaty • WARS of AGGRESSION ARE UNACCEPTABLE • Circular Loans • Proposed by • Charles Dawes

5. The Road to WWII: LATIN AMERICA • Montevideo (Uruguay)Conference, 1933 • US renounces (gives up) right to intervene in the affairs of Latin American countries • GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY • This might be interpreted as a retreat from the Monroe Doctrine and Pan-Americanism • Also might be interpreted as signaling a movement back toward the isolationism of the 1920s

6. LATIN AMERICA • Cuban revolution, 1933 • Brought Fulgencio Batista to power • US did not intervene • Batista served as president until 1940, then left office. He staged a coup in 1952, remained in power until the Castro revolution of 1959 • After the revolution, US did grant Cuba a “favorable status” involving a US pledge to purchase Cuban sugar • US continued to keep naval base at Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo)

7. MANCHURIA, 1931 • Japan invaded Manchuria • Immediate purpose was to obtain coal • Violated Kellogg-Briand Pact • Hoover refused to go along with League of Nations sanctions • Hoover refused to grant diplomatic recognition to the “new” country of Manchukuo that Japan had created out of the conquered country

8. London Economic Conference, 1933 • Unsuccessful attempt to stabilize the currencies of nations undergoing depression. • FDR refused to let the dollar “float” in value relative to European currencies • Insisted on an objective gold standard. • Conference failure was thus blamed on Americans.

9. USSR Relations • US granted diplomatic recognition to the USSR • November 1933 • Had refused to recognize the Communist government since the 1917 Revolution • But now it was in US strategic interests to do so to counter Japanese expansion in the Pacific. • First US ambassador to the USSR was • Clarence Birdseye • Birdseye tried to market his new product, • quick-frozen vegetables, to Russia

10. Philippines • Tydings-McDuffie Act, 1934 • Filipinos had sought dominion status, which would give them some level of independence. • US promised to give it, but not immediately; promised they would become independent by July 4, 1946.

11. Reciprocal Trade Agreement, 1934 • Pledged to lower Hawley-Smoot Tariff rates for any country that would lower its tariff with the USA • By 1936, had lowered mutual tariffs with 13 countries. • Negotiated by Cordell Hull

12. Nye Committee, 1934-35 • Made public what many Americans had suspected: That financial considerations had played a big part in Wilson’s decision to enter WWI • German “threat” overstated • Caused even more isolationist spirit among Americans.

13. Johnson Act, 1934 • Any European nation that defaulted on its debts could not sell stock in any of its companies to Americans, as long as the debt was outstanding • This affected Germany significantly, as it owed huge debts to the US

14. Neutrality Act, 1935 • USA would not sell weapons to any warring nation in Europe, regardless of who started the war • American ships carried no weapons • US Citizens urged to avoid travel to warring nations

15. Neutrality Act, 1935 • Gave US president authority to decide what constitutes a state of war • Lets him invoke the neutrality provisions even if the warring nations never actually declared war • US won’t even lend money to a warring nation

16. Neutrality Act, 1937 • Extended previous neutrality acts to include even civil wars • No weapons sales to belligerents • No sales of any kind (food, medicine, etc.) to belligerents unless . . . • Nation paid cash (no loans) . . . • And carried the merchandise on their own ships… • And no US ships were to be involved

17. FASCISM • Fascism continued to grow in Europe and Asia • Western insistence on neutrality convinced fascist countries that the non-fascist world lacked the motivation or power to stop fascist aggression

18. FASCISM • 1936: Fascist Italy took advantage of the opportunity to take over Ethiopia • Ethiopia was rich in gold, in those days • Emperor Haile Selassie I, (“Power of the Trinity, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Lord of Lords, King of Kings of Ethiopia and Elect of God”) • The League of Nations failed to protest, as did the United States.

19. Emperor Haile Selassie I

20. ROME-BERLIN AXIS, 1936 Benito Mussolini Adolf Hitler

21. CHINA • 1937: Japan invaded China • US gunboat Panay sunk by Japanese during this attack. • US refused to prosecute as an “attack,” insisting instead on an apology from Japan • Many Americans urged FDR just to withdraw all Americans from China • “Don’t get involved”

22. US GUNBOAT, PANAY

23. QUARANTINE, 1937 • Chicago, 1937 • FDR advocates “quarantine of the aggressors” • Public reaction very unfavorable. • FDR withdrew this idea • But FDR still recognized that at some point, the US would have to act.

24. A NEW GERMAN THREAT

25. A NEW GERMAN THREAT • Hitler’s aggressive expansion of The Third Reich across central Europe continued • 1938: Germany reunited with Austria • This had been prohibited by the 1919 Treaty of Versailles • 1938: Germany took part of Czechoslovakia (the Sudetenland) with the consent of western Europe • The Munich Pact

26. MUNICH FAILS • Munich pact was hailed by Europeans and Americans • Many believed it had secured “peace in our time.” • 1939: Hitler broke the pact • Claimed the rest of Czechoslovakia as German territory • Britain’s policy of “appeasement” was clearly ineffective

27. The Road to WWII • FDR and his cabinet were alarmed • The mood in the USA was generally “that’s not our affair” • But FDR knew we would have to get involved sooner or later • August 1939: Secret non-aggression pact between Hitler and Stalin • Pledged not to attack each other • Each man secretly planned to break the pact • Each man understood that the other was going to do that eventually

28. Another corrupt bargain…

29. HITLER-STALIN PACT • The Hitler-Stalin pact also included plans for Hitler to overtake Poland, then divide Poland between Germany and USSR. • Stalin agreed only because it bought him time to get his country ready for the inevitable war with Germany.

30. LIGHTNING WAR • Hitler’s army made “Blitzkrieg” (lightning-fast war) • Invaded Poland in September 1, 1939, just days after signing the pact with Stalin. • FDR realized the war to wou come, and that it was his task to get the USA mentally and militarily prepared.

31. ESCALATION • October 1938 – January 1939: nearly $2 billion additional appropriated for defense • FDR created a War Resources Board to plan an industrial response to future war needs • Diplomatically FDR began to look for loopholes in the Neutrality Acts

32. PREPARATION • First step: September 1939, FDR urged Congress to allow sales of arms to nations under attack by fascism, but only on a cash-and-carry basis • Second step: FDR urged Congress to allow loans to countries being attacked by fascism • Officially, the US was still “neutral”

33. MEANWHILE IN EUROPE… • June, 1940: Hitler’s armies quickly conquered France • France was an old ally of the US • Most Americans now saw Germany as a threat • American attitudes began to shift regarding involvement in the war to assist “our old friends.”

34. AMERICA FIRST • The “America First” Committee ardently opposed these new attitudes. • Recommended that the US consider objectively whether the interests of America were served by joining the war • Friendship with old allies not enough of a reason. • Some anti-Semitism among “America Firsters”

35. YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS HAVE SELECTED YOU… • FDR proposed the first peacetime draft in American history in September 1935 • Passed by Congress • Called in all men between the ages of 21 and 35

36. LEND-LEASE • FDR sought to aid Britain in any possible legal way • Began “lend-lease” – literally gave warships to Britain • Sometimes in exchange for promise of land • Sometimes in exchange for promise of payment “someday” • Rationale: “Don’t withhold your garden hose if your neighbor’s house is on fire”

37. SHIFTING IDEALS • Polls showed Americans’ opinions gradually shifting toward involvement, away from isolationism during this time. • Added bonus: stepped-up production of war materials was putting Americans back to work • Helped end the Depression once and for all.

38. 1940 ELECTION • 1940 election • Republican Wendell Willkie vs. FDR • FDR broke with precedent to run for a 3rd term, because of impending war.

39. 1940 ELECTION • Willkie basically agreed with FDR on almost everything • But by the end of the campaign he had begun to call FDR a “warmonger” • But by fall of 1940 many Americans agreed with FDR regarding the war.

40. 1941 • August 1941: FDR and British PM Winston Churchill met secretly near Newfoundland • Issued the “Atlantic Charter” • Not a declaration of war but a vision of a postwar world without fascism, with freedom and democracy for all world citizens • FDR and Churchill pledged to uphold the Charter

41. 1941 • American warships patrolling the North Atlantic (to guard British shipping) were attacked by German submarines • FDR authorized all American defense ships to “shoot on sight.” • 1941: FDR urged all merchant ships to arm themselves against possible German attack.

42. MEANWHILE IN ASIA… • After conquering part of China in 1937, Japan announced that China was part of its “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity sphere.” • Ended “Open Door Policy” with the West. • FDR urged US loans to China for their defense • Urged Americans not to buy Japanese products.

43. RELATIONS WITH JAPAN • September 1940: The Axis powers (Italy and Germany) invited Japan to join the Axis via the Tripartite Pact. • July 1941: USA closed the Panama Canal to traffic by any Axis nation • US ordered embargo of coal, oil, and all food products to Japan.

44. RELATIONS WITH JAPAN • Summer of 1941: Secretary Cordell Hull attempted negotiations with Japan to get these trade concessions restored IF Japan would remove forces from China. • Japan pledged to do so, also not to make war on the US should the US join the war on the side of the Allies – even though the Tripartite Pact obligated Japan to fight the US if US entered the war

45. RELATIONS WITH JAPAN • Japan offered to host a summit meeting between Prime Minister Hideki Tojo and FDR • FDR said he would attend no such meeting while Japanese troops were in China. • Meeting was never held.

46. RELATIONS WITH JAPAN • Peace talks continued • But secretly Japan was planning to attack US naval forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. • Purpose of the attack • Damage the newest ships in the US fleet • Intimidate the US by a demonstration of Japan’s military might • Discourage US involvement to aid European allies