Chapter 24 Section 4

 FDR wanted to help Britain and France  Neutrality Act of 1939  Proclaimed U.S. neutral  FDR called for Congress to allow for the selling of weapons (if they paid in cash), buying country must transport weapons  Britain was in great need of destroyers to protect their cargo ships from German U-Boats  FDR found a loophole around the Neutrality Act of 1939  Destroyers for Bases Deal

 What two events swayed U.S. public into favoring limited aid to the allies?  Range of Opinion  Two groups in favor of U.S. involvement in WWII 1. Fight for Freedom Committee 2. Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies  America First Committee  Election of 1940  FDR (Dem.) vs. Wendell Willkie (Rep.)  FDR wins b/c wanted a president who had experienced crisis

 Edging Toward War  FDR wanted to preserve democracy in Britain  Wanted to protect their four freedoms: 1. Freedom of speech 2. Freedom of worship 3. Freedom from want 4. Freedom from fear  Lend-Lease Act  U.S. would lend or lease arms to any country considered “vital to the defense of the U.S.”  Contributed more than $40 Billion in weapons, vehicles, and other supplies  Eventually supported the Soviets also

 Hemispheric defense zone  Allowed America navy to locate German U-boats and tell the British their location  The Atlantic Charter  Agreement b/w FDR and Churchill  Postwar world of democracy, nonaggression, free trade, economic advancement, and freedom of the seas  Two incidents of German aggression toward the U.S. 1. German U-Boat fired on U.S. destroyer Greer 2. German U-Boat sank U.S. destroyer, Ruben James  115 sailors died

 America Embargoes Japan  FDR introduced policies to discourage the Japanese from attacking British Empire in Asia  Most of the navy had left to fight Germans in Europe  Japan depended on the U.S. for scrap iron, steel, and oil (80%)  Export Control Act  Allowed FDR to restrict the sale of strategic materials to other nations  Japanese signed an Alliance with Germany and Italy

 In 1941, FDR began sending lend-lease aid to China  Wanted China to keep the Japanese occupied  It failed, by July 1941, Japanese troops had marched into Indochina threatening the British Empire  The Japanese were now in position to destroy British shipping  Roosevelt responded with freezing all Japanese assets in the U.S.  FDR would only lift oil embargo if Japan withdrew from Indochina and made peace with China  b/c of lack of oil and other resources Japan attacked British and Dutch colonies  Now focused on destroying U.S. fleet in Pacific  On Nov. 26, 1941, Japan set sail for Hawaii

 American had decoded Japanese messages that stated Japan was preparing for war with the U.S.  Nov. 27, 1941, American commanders at Pearl Harbor received warning of Japanese attack from Washington, they were not mentioned a target  On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan surprised the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor (date that will live in infamy)  21 ships were sank; 8 battleships, 3 cruisers, 4 destroyers, and 6 Other vessels  2,403 died and 1,178 injured  On Dec. 8, 1941, U.S. declared war on Japan

Pearl Harbor

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto

Pearl Harbor from the Cockpit of a Japanese Pilot

Pearl Harbor - Dec. 7, 1941 A date which will live in infamy!

President Roosevelt Signs the US Declaration of War

USS Arizona, Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor Memorial 2,887 Americans Dead!

 Hitler was frustrated with the Americans navy attacks on German submarines  Believed the Japanese would easily defeat the Americans  Hoped helping the Japanese now, he could count on them for help against the Soviets  Hitler declared war on the U.S. on December 11, 1941.