The Road to World War 2 In 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria. In 1937 Japan attacked China. In 1940 Japan signed a pact with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. These three nations were known as the Axis Powers.

In 1940, Japan took over French Indochina(Vietnam). President Roosevelt responded by cutting off trade with Japan. The Japanese were dependent on American Oil. Without oil, their war machine would crumble

While Japan was expanding its empire in Asia there was also war in Europe. Nazi Germany was expanding all throughout Europe. Great Britain and France did little to stop Hitler for fear of getting into another World War. The practice of pleasing somebody to avoid conflict is known as appeasement.

Just like in the first World War the United States tried to stay neutral for as long as possible. In 1941 the U.S. passed the Lend-Lease Act which allowed the U.S. to ship arms and other supplies to nations fighting the Axis Powers. This was an effort by the U.S. to support the allies without getting into the war.

The Lend-Lease act was an example of FDR’s desire to end the neutrality of the United States. FDR warned politicians that the U.S. must increase its preparations for war in his Four Freedoms speech. War became inevitable when the United States placed an oil embargo (refusal to trade) on Japan. In response to the embargo, Japan began planning an attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii: Pearl Harbor.