America Moves Toward War Ch. 16-4

Cautiously Moving Roosevelt wanted to help France and Great Britain fight against Hitler in order to keep the U.S. out of war. Therefore, FDR passed a “cash-and-carry” provision that allowed warring nations to buy arms as long as they paid cash and transported them on their own ships. The U.S. had sent 500,000 rifles, 80,000 machine guns, and 50 destroyers.

The AXIS Powers Germany, Italy, and Japan signed a mutual defense treaty and became known as the Axis Powers. This meant that if the U.S. declared War on any of the Axis Powers, it would have a two-ocean war, with fighting in the Pacific and Atlantic (Japan and Europe). During this time, FDR ran for a third term and won. He broke George Washington’s tradition of a two-term presidency.

FDR’s Plan FDR warned that if Britain fell to Germany then the AXIS Powers would conquer the world. Lend Lease Plan- the president would lend or lease arms and other supplies to any country whose defense was vital to the U.S.

Supporting Stalin Hitler broke his agreement with Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union. Therefore, FDR began sending lend-lease supplies to the Soviet Union. “If Hitler invaded Hell” the British would be prepared to work with the devil himself. (Winston Churchill)

German Wolf Packs To prevent delivery f lend-lease shipments, Hitler deployed hundreds of submarines to attack ships. FDR allowed the navy permission to attack the U-boats in self defense.

Atlantic Charter The Atlantic Charter became the basis for “A Declaration of the United Nations.” The term “United Nations” express the common purpose of the Allies or those nations that fought the Axis Powers.

Hideki Tojo Hideki Tojo wanted to unite Asia by taking the French, Dutch, and British colonies in Asia. The British were too busy fighting Hitler to stop Japan’s expansion. Japan took over Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia), and the U.S. protested by cutting off trade with Japan. They stopped trading oil to fuel its war.

Peace Talks with Japan Tojo promised Japan’s emperor, Hirochito, that he would keep the peace with the Americans. On Nov. 5, 1941, Tojo ordered the Japanese navy to prepare for an attack on the U.S. The U.S. broke Japan’s secret communication codes and learned that Japan was preparing for a strike, but did not know when or where. The U.S. and Japan’s peace talks went on for a month and on Dec 6, 1941, FDR received a decoded message that said that Japan would reject all American peace proposals.

December 7, 1941 For 1 ½ hours, 180 warplanes attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Japan killed 2,403 Americans and wounded 1,178. The next day FDR addressed Congress with his famous infamy speech: “Yesterday December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy…” Congress then approved FDR’s declaration of war against Japan. Three days later, Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S.