SWBAT: EXPLAIN HOW AND WHY THE U.S. SHIFTED FROM NEUTRALITY TO A POSITION OF MILITARY LEADERSHIP WWII: Neutrality to War

Do Now What was America’s foreign policy in the 1920s?  Isolationism/Neutrality Why did this policy continue into the 1930s?  Great Depression; had to focus on the economy and domestic issues

Was this really isolationist policy? UNILATERAL POLICY T HE W ASHINGTON N AVAL C ONFERENCE ( T HE W ASHINGTON N AVAL C ONFERENCE ( ) – Hosted by the U.S. in which it negotiated reductions in the navies of Britain, France, Italy, Japan, & the U.S. itself K ELLOGG -B RIAND P ACT (1928 K ELLOGG -B RIAND P ACT (1928) – an international agreement among participating states who promised not to use war to resolve "disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them"

Do you recognize the cartoonist? Why did Americans believe they could remain neutral? Dr. Seuss The separate beds meant they were separated by an ocean. Europe’s “diseases” wouldn’t spread to America.

Neutrality Acts Neutrality Act of 1935  Prohibited the export of “arms, ammunition, and implements of war” from the United States to foreign nations at war  All U.S. citizens traveling on warring ships, did so at their own risk Neutrality Act of 1936  Extended the 1935 act for additional 14 months & prohibited Americans from extending any loans to nations at war Neutrality Act of 1937  Forbid sale of arms to countries involved in civil wars  Prohibited U.S. citizens from traveling on belligerent ships  U.S. ships could not transport passengers or articles to belligerent nations  Cash and Carry  U.S. could sell materials to belligerents if they paid cash & arranged for the transportation of those materials

Lend-Lease Act Cash and Carry left Allies short on cash Lend-Lease (1941)  U.S. could sell or lend war materials to “any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States”  FDR vowed to keep the U.S. out of war, but the country would become the “arsenal of democracy” FDR signing the Lend-Lease Act into legislation

Lend-Lease Act If your neighbor’s house is on fire, you don’t sell him a hose. You lend it to him and take it back after the fire is out.

Reaction to Japanese Atrocities After the Nanjing Massacre, the U.S. supported China through the Lend-Lease Act Embargoes and Sanctions  US froze Japan’s assets in America  US refused to trade oil, steel & rubber to Japan  Japan needed these resources to continue its imperial march in the Pacific

Pearl Harbor Tripartite Pact (1940)  Japan, Germany, & Italy made an agreement that if a country not involved in WWII attacked one of the three, the others would come to that country’s aid November 1941: U.S. intercepted Japanese messages, revealing an assault in the Pacific was imminent

Pearl Harbor Japan believed attacking Pearl Harbor would cripple the U.S. Pacific Fleet for 18 months, thus allowing them to continue their plans for a Greater East Asia Sphere The Japanese attacked in two waves. The first wave of Japanese planes were detected on radar, but believed to be US bombers coming from California.

Pearl Harbor Stats 2,340 military killed 48 civilians killed 1,143 military wounded 35 civilians wounded

D ECEMBER 7, 1941: “A DATE THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY ” The attack on Pearl Harbor prompted FDR to ask Congress for a declaration of war  Congress votes 477 – 1 in favor of war

War December 11, 1941: Germany & Italy declare war on U.S.

European Front Pacific Front D-Day (Operation Overlord)- June 6, 1944 Allies landed at Normandy V-E Day- May 8, 1945  Germany surrendered  FDR died a few weeks earlier  Truman is the new President Island-hopping Japanese kamikaze missions Japanese refused to surrender War

Wrap Up In what sense was the United States “involved” in World War II before the Pearl Harbor attack and the Congressional declaration of war in December 1941? Explain the significance of cash and carry in regards to WWII. Explain the significance of island hopping in WWII. EXTENSION: Crash Course: WWII Part 1Crash Course: WWII Part 1