1. Moving from Isolationism to War

2. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
President at the start of World War II
Elected to four terms as President
*Other important events during presidency:
Great Depression

3. Good Neighbor Policy
The United States wanted to become better friends with their American neighbors.
Why?
Rise of dictatorships in Europe and Asia worried U.S. about a possible rise in Latin America
U.S. had to establish friendlier relations with Latin America or else risk creating hostile neighbors.

4. Montevideo Conference (Uruguay)
U.S. pledges NOT to interfere in the affairs of its neighbors
Constant intervention by U.S. was thought to breed anti-American sentiment among Latin Americans

5. Montevideo Pact
“No state has the right to intervene in the internal or external affairs of another state”
U.S. foreign policy change: no longer one of armed intervention in Latin America

6. Trade Friendly Partners
Canada, France, and Great Britain
Laid groundwork for political cooperation in WWII

7. American People’s Feelings About the War
Failure to reduce armaments
Quarreling among European powers
Tariff wars
Disillusioned that WWI did not bring peace
Did not bring disarmament
Did not bring democracy worldwide

8. Failure of the League of Nations
Not an effective instrument of peace
U.S. wise not to join because it was designed to fail
How?
Would U.S. joining have helped?
League of Nations fail to check the aggressions of the Axis powers
What did the League lack? WHY did it fail?

9. U.S. Argument Against War #1 Atlantic and Pacific
A natural protection
Improved relations with Latin America gave even more protection/even if dictators won Europe and Asia

10. U.S. Argument Against War #2 Depression
Many Americans felt the U.S. priority was fixing the depression
(What did the depression influence in the 1930’s?)

11. U.S. Argument Against War #3 Pacifism
Belief that ALL war was unjustified
Backed isolationists
Why?

12. U.S. Argument Against War #4 Money
Unpaid war debts from WWI
Money from WWI benefited banks and business
It is typically viewed as a bad thing to make money off of something tragic (like war)

13. Johnson Debt Default Act
Forbade American Government and private American companies from lending money to any country that defaulted on their loans from WWI
How is this a victory for the isolationists?

14. American Annoyance Only Finland repaid war debt
NOW countries who had defaulted on loans were pouring money into building up armaments
ENTANGLING INVESTMENTS

15. Neutrality Acts Prevented shipment of munitions to belligerents
Authorized President to list things other than munitions that could be sold to belligerents only on a “Cash and Carry” basis
Cash and Carry
Against the law for Americans to travel on warring vessels
Lusitania Sinking 1915
Restricted U.S. citizens on where and how they could travel

17. The Other Side Not ALL Americans were isolationists
Neutrality Acts made it difficult for U.S. to help victims of aggression
Moral duty to help victims
Don’t act, may find ourselves surrounded by powerful enemies

18. STILL Isolationist Attitude Prevailed – even after Panay Incident
54% of Americans believed U.S. should withdraw completely from China

19. Aggression Continues
How long will the U.S. hold out?

20. American Concern
July 1938
Roosevelt asks Congress for appropriations to build up defenses
Appropriation
Congress approves $1 Billion for a two ocean navy.

21. Roosevelt Contacted Mussolini and Hitler
Asked them to settle differences with negotiations and international cooperation
Why did Mussolini and Hitler ignore the U.S.?
Isolationism

22. Roosevelt Extends Monroe Doctrine to Canada
Buenos Aires Conference of 1936 (threat to one is a threat to all)
Reaffirmed
1938 Lima, Peru
21 nations – Protect Western Hemisphere

23. Roosevelt’s Annual Message to Congress
January 1939
Need appropriations for National Defense
Reconsider Neutrality Legislation

24. Great Britain and France
Need military equipment
U.S.A. can supply it
Germany has plenty of armaments
Neutrality Acts – How are they hurting Great Britain and France?

25. Roosevelt “I regret that Congress passed the act”
The Neutrality Acts favored Germany
Britain and France really needed the military equipment

26. Neutrality Laws Amended
Anyone can buy munitions/arms from U.S.
Must be transported on foreign ships.

27. Declaration of Panama
Pan American Union warns belligerents to keep war vessels out of a safety zone surrounding the continent ( miles wide)

29. Disagreement
Germany, France, Great Britain argue that no nation of group of nations had the right to close the high seas to their ships.
Agreement showed cooperation of American countries

30. Burke-Wadsworth Act September 1940
All men to register for the draft and made them liable for one year of military training.

31. Lend Lease Program War materials flowing to Britain
Britain does not have the cash for war materials
Raise production of war materials so U.S. can LEND or LEASE materials to Allies

32. Lend Lease Program FOR AGAINST
Best hope for keeping us out of full participation in war
AGAINST
Involve America in a shooting war

34. Lend Lease Program
$7 Billion for ships, planes, tanks, and anything else needed for Allies.

35. The Atlantic Graveyard
Ships being sunk by German submarines
American ships convoy (accompany) merchant vessels carrying supplies
Merchant ships would be armed, ordered to “shoot on sight”

36. America’s Response Freezes Japanese assets Embargo on the shipment of
Gasoline
Machine Tools
Scrap Iron
Steel
Trade between U.S. and Japan practically ends
U.S. extends Lend-Lease to China.

37. Japan America stiffening resistance Plans an attack
Sends a ‘peace mission’ to U.S.

38. Peace Mission November 1941 DEMANDS U.S. must unfreeze assets
Supply Japan with as much gasoline as it wants
Cease aide to China

39. United States
Refuses Japanese demands

40. Sunday December 7, 1941 Japan- further negotiations were useless
U.S. showed no conciliation
Before message got to U.S. planes were already attacking.

41. Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941 Pacific Naval fleet damaged
Pacific Air fleet nearly destroyed
2000 soldiers and civilians killed
2000 more wounded

42. Pearl Harbor
Roosevelt asks Congress for a declaration of war on Japan (Dec 8).
Senate declares war unanimously, House only had one dissenting vote.
American people, completely on board.
December 11, Germany and Italy declare war on U.S. (U.S. then declares war on them)

43. Pearl Harbor
The United States enters WWII