America Makes Steps Towards War
How did Appeasement Fail to prevent war with Germany? Czechoslovakia (1939) Hitler broke the Munich Pact by occupying the rest of Czechoslovakia Hitler announced a German-Russian non- aggression treaty in August 1939 Allowed Hitler to expand east without resistance from Stalin Hitler and Stalin secretly agreed to divide Poland
Invasion of Poland (September 1939) Spark of WWII When Hitler invaded Poland, Britain and France declare war on Germany Axis Powers In 1940, Germany, Italy, and Japan formed the Axis Powers
How did the German Blitzkrieg impact rest of Europe? Blitzkrieg (lightning war) invasion of German forces with heavy assault strikes Phony War: name used by the press to describe the period of inactivity between the winter of 1939 and the spring of 1940 Spring of 1940 Germany attacked and occupied Denmark, Norway, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, and Belgium
Hitler’s conquest allowed Germany to attack France north of the Maginot line (French line of defense between French and German border)
France fell to the German blitzkrieg in only one week of fighting Occupied France under direct German rule Vichy France under rule of a puppet regime controlled by Hitler Germany intended to use the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) to soften Britain for invasion Great Britain was left alone to fight the Axis powers Hitler referred to his German Empire as the “Third Reich”
How did European Aggression impact U. S How did European Aggression impact U.S. public opinion on foreign policy? Many Americans were still disillusioned with WWI The Nye Committee Congressional investigation leg by Senator Gerald Nye Concluded that U.S. participation in WWI was the result of greedy bankers and arms manufacturers Isolationists wanted to avoid future European conflicts
HOW DID THE U.S. TRY TO AVOID INVOLVEMENT IN EUROPE? Neutrality Acts: laws passed by Congress to keep the U.S. neutral 1935: allowed the president to prohibit the sale of weapons to belligerent nations 1936: prohibited loans to belligerent nations 1937: prohibited the shipment of arms to opposing sides in the Spanish Civil War
How did FDR get around neutrality restrictions set by Congress? FDR believed British survival was essential to U.S. security Neutrality Act of 1939 FDR convinced Congress to adopt a less restrictive neutrality act Kept U.S. neutral in the sense that any belligerent nation could buy U.S. weapons if paid in cash and used their own ships Not neutral since British controlled the seas between U.S. and Britain
How did Election of 1940 help aid the British? FDR became the first president to run for a 3rd consecutive term won with 54% of vote After reelection, FDR felt he was in a stronger position to abandon neutrality and openly help the British FDR wanted the U.S. to be “the great arsenal for democracy”
The Four Freedoms Announced in FDR’s proposal to Congress to lend $ to Britain for the purchase of war materials Justified lending in defense of nations that were committed to the “four freedoms” Freedom of speech Freedom of religion Freedom from want Freedom from fear
Lend-Lease Act (March 1941) FDR proposed ending the cash and carry requirement of neutrality act Allowed British to obtain all the arms it needed on credit The Atlantic Charter (August 1941) Secret meeting between FDR and British PM Winston Churchill off the coast of Newfoundland Affirmed the two nations objectives for peace when the war ended Self determination, no territorial expansion, free trade
Shoot-on-sight July 1941, FDR ordered U.S. Navy to escort/convoy with British ships carrying lend lease materials from U.S. to as far as Iceland September 1941, American naval convoy was attacked by German U-boats FDR ordered the U.S. Navy to attack all German ships on sight Began an undeclared naval war