Mobilizing for War

1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact signed– war is not a national policy - closest we’ve come to making war illegal – and still in effect in most countries that signed!

Congress passes first in a series of 3 Neutrality Acts, extending ban on arms sales and loans to nations engaged in wars, showing how dedicated we were to peace. 1935

July 1937 Japan attacks China – we send supplies to China, skirting around the Neutrality Acts because Japan didn’t actually declare war - Roosevelt speaks out against isolationism but the isolationists accuse him of trying to lead us to war, so he backs off

September 30, 1938 Spring - Germany completes the Anschluss, union, with Austria, bringing them into the Third Reich. September 30 – Germany signs the Munich Pact with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and French Minister Edouard Daladier. The Pact allows Germany to take over the Sudetenland, part of Czechoslovakia, if they agree to stop conquering territory – a policy of appeasement.

Winston Churchill Winston Churchill, a rival of Chamberlains in Britain, viewed the actions of Chamberlain and Daladier as cowardly – “Britain and France had to choose between war and dishonor. They chose dishonor. They will have war.” Despite his arguments, the Munich Agreement passed thru both governments, and Hitler’s aggression went unopposed.

May 1939 Jews are fleeing from Hitler’s wrath. Most go to other nations in Europe, but as the Nazi’s are spreading their power, many try to immigrate to the United States. The USA, not wanting to get involved, turns back the St. Louis – a ship from Germany holding mostly Jews fleeing Hitler. We feared German enemy agents on board, as well as for reasons of anti- Semitism, and fear of losing US jobs and threatening economic recovery

August, 1939 Germany invades all of Czechoslovakia, then decides to invade Poland. In order to keep the Soviet Union neutral, Hitler signs a non-aggression Pact with Stalin, agreeing to never attack each other, and to divide up Poland.

September 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland using blitzkrieg tactics – concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines. Through constant motion, the blitzkrieg attempts to keep its enemy off-balance, making it difficult to respond effectively at any given point before the front has already moved on. Great Britain and France formally declare war against Germany, starting WWII.

Help from Spain Francisco Franco, totalitarian leader of Spain, claimed neutrality for his country, though he did allow Hitler and Mussolini’s troops to use Spain as a proving ground for their new weapons. In trying to control the Basque population, Franco allowed Hitler’s planes to bomb the city of Guernica…testing new technology, and ridding Franco of a problem.

September 1939 Congress passes “cash and carry” legislation – Britain and France could bring us cash for war supplies and ship the supplies themselves. A way to keep us out of war, but aid Britain and France.

by June 1940 We have sent 500,000 rifles, 80,000 machine guns, and traded 50 destroyers for leases at British military bases – “decidedly un- neutral”

June 1940 German offensive in France traps 400,000 British and French troops who flee to the coast at Dunkirk - all types of boats start shuttling 330,000 troops across English Channel to Britain.

September 27, 1940 Germany, Italy and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact, becoming the Axis Powers – aimed at keeping the US out of war by being a larger threat

British and French set up fortification of eastern border of France along Manginot line, across from German defense on Siegfried line - waiting for action. Becomes "sitzkrieg" - sitting war, or phony war.

September 1940 US boosts defense spending and passes 1st peacetime draft – the Selective Training and Service Act for men 21-35 years old drafting 1 million men for 1 year to serve in Western Hemisphere only

April 1940 Germany launches invasion of Denmark and Norway to "protect...freedom and independence." Need bases to attack Britain! Then they attack Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands - the end of the phony war.

June – August 1940 USSR joins the grab for land and annexes Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, territories they had lost during WWI. They then move on to Finland and fight only 3 months before Finland surrenders.

Election of 1940 Roosevelt re-elected to 3rd term when Wendell Wilkie proves to believe in many of the same policies Roosevelt gives speech saying the only way to defeat the Axis powers so the world is not living at gunpoint if France and Britain are defeated is to become a “great arsenal of democracy”

February 1940 Manginot line is proven ineffective as Germans send tanks through the "impassable" Ardennes Mountains.

Italy joins Germany and invades France from the South and both march towards Paris.

June 1940 At Compeigne, Hitler gives France surrender terms: Germany occupies the North, in the South a puppet government is set up in Vichy. Daladier has resigned, and General Charles de Gaulle flees to Britain and sets up gov't in exile. France is no longer a free territory.

July 10, 1940 – October 31, 1940 Battle of Britain Germany prepares invasion of Britain with a fleet of ships. Tries 1st to gain control of skies by running bombing runs, every night for 2 months with more than 2000 planes per day. RAF fights back using RADAR and decimates Luftwaffe. For the 1st time Hitler calls off invasion, leaving Britain the only free country in Western Europe.

1941 Britain is out of money for cash & carry March 1941 – Congress passes the Lend-Lease Act to lend and lease arms and supplies to any country whose defense is vital to the US

June 1941 Hitler breaks his pact with Stalin and invades the USSR – the US sends lend-lease supplies to USSR – the enemy of our enemy is our friend

July 1941 Japan invades Indochina so US cuts off all trade with Japan – Japan needs peace to keep oil and supplies for their expansion, so peace talks with US begin

September 1941 Roosevelt allows US warships to attack German U-boats in self- defense after wolf packs sink as much as 350,000 tons of supplies in one month. After U-boats sink US destroyers Kearny and Reuben James, order is given to shoot U-boats on site. US is fighting at sea, without technically being involved in WWII.

November 5, 1941 Japan begins their preparations to attack the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor – hopefully keeping the US out of war so the Japanese could control the Pacific Ocean.

December 7, 1941 Japan attacks US base at Pearl Harbor

December 8, 1941 Roosevelt declares war, calling the attack a “day which will live in infamy” 5 million men volunteer to fight – to meet the demands, the Selective Service draft another 10 million