1. United States and the War
Objective: analyze how and why the US entered the war

2. United States Most people wanted Allies to win, but did not want war
Roosevelt vowed to remain neutral

3. 1938- Congress revised Neutrality Acts allowing warring nations to buy US goods if they paid cash and moved the goods in their own ships

4. 1940 – Roosevelt gave 50 destroyers to Britain in exchange for leases on 8 British military bases
1940 – Selective Training and Service Act – first US peacetime draft; called up men aged 21 – 35 to serve in the military

5. 1940 Election Roosevelt runs for third term
First president to break Washington’s two-term tradition
Promised not to send Americans into foreign wars while he continued to prepare the nation for war

6. Involvement Grows March, 1941 –Congress passed Lend-Lease Act
Lend-lease Act – allowed the United States to lend or lease raw materials, equipment, and weapons to any country vital to the defense of the United States

7. Isolationists opposed law
Roosevelt instructs navy to protect British ships close to American shores
Orders Americans to shoot German and Italian ships on sight in certain areas after Germans fired on US ships

9. Atlantic Charter
August, 1941 – charter signed by Roosevelt and Churchill
Not a military alliance – set goals for the world after the Nazis were defeated

10. Urged disarmament (giving up weapons)
Called for creation of permanent system for preserving peace

11. Japanese Threat Japan expands in the Far East
Seized French Indochina after France fell

12. Planned to take the Dutch East Indies, British Malaya, and American territory of the Philippines

13. US Responds Economic pressure used to halt Japan’s expansion
All Japanese funds (money) frozen in US banks by Roosevelt
Also stopped sale of gasoline
and other resources
Japan needed

14. Konoye (Prime Minister) wants to hold talks with US; does not believe Japan could defeat US in a war

15. General Tojo disagreed; Konoye resigned
Nov. 20 – talks went forward; Tojo planned surprise attack on US

18. Attack on Pearl Harbor
7:55 am on Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese warplanes bombed Pearl Harbor, an American naval base in Hawaii
Ships anchored in a neat row, and airplanes grouped together on the airfield, made easy targets

20. More than 2,300 soldiers, sailors, and civilians were killed
More than 1,000 injured
Many American warplanes and ships were destroyed

21. Dec. 8. 1941 – President Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan
Dec. 11, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.

24. View clip from Tora, Tora, Tora

28. “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.” Admiral Yamamota
What does Admiral Yamamota mean? Illustrate what you think the quote means.