1. American Foreign Policy: 1920-1941
IB History of the Americas

2. DIPLOMACY IN THE 1920S: ENGAGEMENT WITHOUT ENTANGLEMENTS

3. Failure of the League of Nations
The US became “unofficial observers”
Senate voted down membership into the League, even though it was the cornerstone of Wilson’s 14 Points 3

4. Punch Magazine December 19194

5. Failure of the League of Nations
Collective security by the League required nations to act against states they considered friends to support states in which they had no interest. Ex. Mussolini and Ethiopia
Moral Suasion in Punch Magazine 1920 5

6. Washington Disarmament Conference (1921-1922)
Goals  naval disarmament and the political situation in the Far East.

7. Five-Power Treaty (1922)
A battleship ratio was achieved through this ratio: US Britain Japan France Italy
Japan got a guarantee that the US and Britain would stop fortifying their Far East territories [including the Philippines].
Loophole  no restrictions on small warships, no enforcement mechanism

8. European Debts to the US

9. Hyper-Inflation in Germany: 1923

10. Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)
15 nations dedicated to outlawing aggression and war as tools of foreign policy.
62 nations signed.
Problems  no means of actual enforcement and gave Americans a false sense of security.

11. DIPLOMACY IN THE 1930S: ENGAGEMENT to Isolationism

12. Japanese Attack Manchuria (1931)
League of Nations condemned the action.
Japan leaves the League.
Hoover wanted no part in an American military action in the Far East.

13. Hoover-Stimson Doctrine (1932)
US would not recognize any territorial acquisitions that were achieved by force.
Japan was infuriated because the US had conquered new territories a few decades earlier.
Japan bombed Shanghai in  massive casualties.

14. FDR’s “Good Neighbor” Policy
Important to have all nations in the Western Hemisphere united in lieu of foreign aggressions.
FDR  The good neighbor respects himself and the rights of others.
Policy of non-intervention and cooperation.

15. Geneva Conference- arms limitation talks
U.S. Isolationism
Geneva Conference- arms limitation talks
1933, Hitler and Mussolini withdraw
Reasons for U.S. isolationism:
Failure of the League to limit aggression (ex. Italy-Ethiopia)
Public opinion against U.S. involvement in Europe, leading to the Neutrality Acts 15

16. FDR’s “I hate war” Speech (1936)

17. From Isolationism to War

18. Neutrality Acts: 1935, 1936, 1937
Congress responds to voters to prevent a repeat of the events that led U.S. into WW I. When the President proclaimed the existence of a foreign war, certain restrictions would automatically go into effect:
Prohibited sales of arms to nations.
Prohibited loans and credits to nations.
Forbade Americans to travel on vessels of nations at war

19. Panay Incident (1937) December 12, 1937.
Japan bombed USS Panay gunboat
Japan apologized, paid US an indemnity, and promised no further attacks.
Results  Japanese interpreted US tone as a license for further aggression against US interests.

20. “America First” Committee
Charles Lindbergh

21. War Begins / US Intervention
England near bankruptcy and cannot afford “cash & carry” FDR introduces “Lend-Lease”
Lend or lease arms to any nation deemed “vital to the defense of the United States” 21

22. “Lend-Lease” Act (1941)
Great Britain $31 billion Soviet Union $11 billion France $ 3 billion China $1.5 billion Other European $500 million South America $400 million The amount totaled: $48,601,365,000

23. Japanese Aggression
Pathways 23

24. US / Japan Dec 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor attacked
U.S. naval force in the Pacific is greatly reduced
Dec 8, FDR asks for a declaration of war.
Dec 11 Germany & Italy declare war on U.S.
U.S. reciprocates
FDR before Congress asking for a Declaration of War against Japan, Dec. 8, 1941 24

25. FDR Signs the War Declaration