Why didn’t the Allies (Britain and France) stop Hitler? ► Memory of World War I ► Rethinking Versailles Treaty ► Fear of Soviet Union and communism ► Appeasement – a policy of granting concessions to avoid conflict

What was America doing while Europe’s events unfolded? ► Neutrality Acts 1935 – Sale of weapons or loans to any country engaged in war - Forbidden ► GOAL = Keep U.S. out of war  Transportation of weapons and other war items banned  9/39 Revise Neutrality Acts “Cash and Carry” – oil, rubber, & steel. Those at war could not buy on credit & supplies had to be carried in own ships  No nations at war could borrow $ from U.S.  Americans prohibited from traveling on vessels belonging to nations at war

FDR realizes Nazi threat and believes that France and Britain can defeat Germany with U.S. help. He tries to get around Neutrality Laws to provide that help.

U.S. Support for Allies ► 1940 – German victory over Western Europe, fall of France ► FDR re-elected for third term ► Germany & Italy sign treaty with Japan ► 1941 Battle of Britain ► U.S. initiates first peacetime Selective Service Act and start of military build-up ► Destroyers-For-Bases Deal – United States exchanged 50 destroyers with Britain for 99-year leases on their North American bases ► LEND-LEASE ACT - Authorized the President to “Sell transfer, exchange, lease, lend, or otherwise dispose of any defense article for any country whose defense the president deems vital to the defense of the U.S.” without payment (Isolationists Against)

Roosevelt’s analogy to convince the American public – Lending your neighbor a hose to put out a fire on his house, believes U.S. is the “Arsenal of Democracy” ► May 1941 ► June 1941 ► Dec. 7, 1941 *79% of American opposed war America First Committee – Charles Lindbergh believed U.S. should stay out of war *Hitler breaks nonaggression pact w/Russia *Pearl Harbor – Japanese planes bomb Hawaiian naval base; Americans unanimously support war effort – Declare war on Japan

Hitler’s First Big Mistake ► Germany and Italy declare war on the United States