Lesson 3 – America Moves Toward War Module 11 Lesson 3 – America Moves Toward War

C. Key Terms & People

a. Neutrality Acts As FDR urged Americans & Congress to get involved in Hitler’s aggressive moves in Europe, Congress was more hesitant & passed a series of Neutrality Acts to keep the US out of future wars The 1st 2 acts (1935; 1937) outlawed arms sales/loans to nations & at war The 3rd act (1939) prohibited arms sales/loans to nations engaged in civil war

b. Axis Powers Sept. 27th, 1940 Germany, Italy, & Japan signed a mutual defense treaty (Tripartite Pact) & became known as the Axis Powers It was intended to keep the US out of the war because each Axis nation agreed to defend the other in case of attack so if the US declared war on any one of the Axis powers, it would have to fight a 2-ocean war (Pacific against Japan; Atlantic against Germany/Italy)

c. Selective Training & Service Act Nazi victories in 1940 changed US thinking as Congress boosted defense spending & passed the Selective Training/Service Act (the nation’s 1st peacetime military draft) 16 million men (21 – 35) were registered (1 million of these would be drafted for one year of service) They were allowed to serve only in the Western Hemisphere (not in Europe – just in defense of the US mainland)

d. Lend-Lease Act Passed in 1940 where we agreed to lend/lease arms & other supplies to ‘any country whose defense was vital to the US’ FDR compared it to lending a garden hose to a neighbor whose house was on fire – only sensible thing to do to prevent the fire from spreading to your own property

Let’s watch a quick video & look at 2 graphs on the Lend Lease policy

e. Atlantic Charter German U-boats started attacking our convoy ships bringing arms across the Atlantic to the Allies using a ‘wolf pack’ strategy FDR & Churchill secretly met in August of 1941 aboard the USS Augusta where they signed a joint declaration of war goals called the Atlantic Charter They both pledged collective security, disarmament, self- determination, economic cooperation, & freedom of the seas This document became the impetus behind the creation of the United Nations following the war

f. Allies Those nations fighting against the Axis powers This term was used by FDR onboard the USS Augusta when he & Churchill signed the Atlantic Charter (a Declaration of the United Nations) This declaration was signed by 26 nations on Jan. 1st, 1942 & another 21 countries had added their signatures by the end of the war becoming what we know today as the United Nations The main Allied powers were Great Britain, France (who would soon be taken over by Germany), the USSR (who would soon join), & the US (who would also soon join)

D. Study Questions

a. How did the isolationist policy shape US foreign policy in the 20s & 30s; what were the consequences of US isolationism? We signed the Washington Naval Conference (1921) with our WWI allies promising to disarm our militaries & not build any new warships during the next 10 yrs. We signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928) w/France & 61 other countries stating that war couldn’t be used as an ‘instrument of national policy’ but had no enforcement power if any nation broke this pact It allowed Japan & Germany to continue their aggressive pursuits in Asia & Europe

b. Why did FDR take one ‘un-neutral’ step after another to assist Britain & the Soviet Union in 1941? Following Hitler’s blitzkrieg through Poland, France soon fell under Nazi control & FDR knew that he had to change our neutrality posture by sending 500,000 rifles/80,000 machine guns to Great Britain & also sending supplies to the USSR (the enemy of my enemy is my friend)

He won with 55% of the electoral votes c. How did the isolationist view of many Americans challenge FDRs political leadership? House Rep James O’Connor & aviator Charles Lindbergh openly criticized FDR’s push toward supporting the Allies against the Axis powers These isolationists actually motivated FDR to break from the ‘2-term’ tradition and run for an unprecedented 3rd presidential term He won with 55% of the electoral votes

d. What factors led Japan to attack the US at Pearl Harbor? As Japan extended its influence in Asia, the US was the only nation to stand in its way of controlling all of the Pacific Ocean as well (all its islands) When Japan took over French military bases in Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos), the US placed an oil embargo on Japan Japan knew it needed oil to continue feeding its war machine & expansionary goals, so the only solution was to attack the US at Pearl Harbor

e. Why did the US enter World War II? On Dec. 7th, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor & on Dec. 8th, Congress declared war on Japan with Germany & Italy declaring war on the U.S. on Dec. 11th. Let’s watch a video on Pearl Harbor