FROM NEUTRALITY TO WAR

Outbreak of War in Europe  Hitler breaks Munich agreement, occupies Czechoslovakia  Britain and France draw line at Poland  Stalin (USSR) and Hitler sign nonaggression pact, secretly divide Poland

Outbreak of War in Europe  Invasion of Poland  September 1, 1939  Britain and France declare war  Blitzkrieg strategy Air Power Fast tanks  Control of Scandinavia, France by spring of 1940

Changing U.S. policy  Most opposed Hitler  Roosevelt believed British survival was necessary  Chipped away at neutrality laws  Massive aid to Britain was controversial  Cash and Carry  Less restrictive Neutrality Act  Arms if carried on their ships and paid cash  Strongly favored Britain

Changing U.S. Policy  Selective Service Act (1940)  Compulsory military service/draft  All men  1.2 million troops  First draft during peacetime Smaller proportion of resistors than WWI 3x as many (6,000)  Destroyers-for-bases deal  Britain under constant attack  Couldn’t sell destroyers 50 ships for right to build bases on Brit islands

The Election of 1940  3 Term president?  Campaign  “Your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars.”  Wendell Willkie GOP nominee New Deal critic Similar in view on war Focused on 2-term limit  Result  54% for Roosevelt

Arsenal of Democracy  Four Freedoms  Proposed lending money to GB to buy war materiel  In defense of 4 freedoms Speech, religion, from want, from fear  Lend-Lease Act  End cash and carry  Sell arms on credit  America-First vehemently opposed

Arsenal of Democracy  Atlantic Charter  Secret meeting between Roosevelt and Churchill  Affirmed peace objectives Self-determination for all No territorial expansion Free trade  Shoot-on-sight  U.S. escorts for British ships carrying lend-lease sales  American ship attacked by German  American ships to attack Germans on sight

Disputes with Japan  Japan had expanded into Allied colonies  U.S. economic action  No steel or iron to any country except GB  Oil embargo  Negotiations  Needed oil for navy and AF  Japan would have to take resources  Invasion of China violation of Open Door  Unsuccessful, hope for delayed confrontation

Pearl Harbor  December 7, 1941  2,400 deaths  1,200 wounded  20 warships  150 airplanes

Pearl Harbor  Partial surprise  High gov. officials aware of immanency of attack Code broken  No exact target and date Philippines, Dutch East Indies, Malaya  Declaration of War Nearly Unanimous Jeanette Rankin First female Congressperson ONLY congressperson to vote against both WWI and WWII