1. America Moves Toward War
Ch. 16, Section 4
America Moves Toward War

2. The United States Musters Its Forces
In September of 1939, Roosevelt persuaded Congress to pass a “cash and carry” provision that allowed other nations to buy U.S. arms as long as they paid in cash.
They also had to transport them with their own ships
Roosevelt believed this would be a great benefit
France and Britain could get the aid they needed
U.S. was able to stay out of the war
Isolationists wanted to completely stay out of the war, so they attacked Roosevelt
The Neutrality Act was passed a few short weeks later

3. The Axis Threat By the time this had come to be, it was too late
France had fallen by summer of 1940 and Britain was under siege
Roosevelt wanted to help but still wanted to stay out of war
“All aid short of war”
Sent Britain 500,000 rifles and 80,000 machine guns
Winston Churchill declared that this was the a “decidedly unneutral act”
Germany, Italy and Japan signed mutual defense treaty
Tripartite Pact

4. Tripartite Pact Aimed to keep the United States out of war
Each nation of the Axis Powers, would come to the defense of the others
If United States declared war on Germany, it would have to face Italy and Japan
A two ocean war

5. Building U.S. Defenses
Roosevelt asked Congress to increase spending for national defense
The idea of isolationism changed because of Nazi victories
Congress boosted the spending and enforced the first peacetime military draft
Selective Training and Service Act
16 million men between 21 and 35 were registered
1 million were to be drafted only for a year and could only serve in the Western Hemisphere

6. Roosevelt Runs for a Third Term
Roosevelt decided to run for reelection again
Isolationists were mad when Roosevelet’s opponent, Republican Wendell Wilkie, supported giving aid to Britain
Both candidates said they would keep the U.S. out of war
Since there was not much difference between the two men, most people stuck with what they knew
As a result, Roosevelt won with 55% of the votes

7. “The Great Arsenal of Democracy”
After victory, Roosevelt told people it would be impossible to negotiate with Hitler
If Britain fell, the Axis powers would be left unchallenged to conquer the world
“All Americans would be living at the point of a gun”
U.S. had to help defeat the Axis threat by turning itself into “great arsenal of democracy”

8. The Lend-Lease Plan
Late 1940: Britain had no more cash to spend in the arsenal of democracy
Roosevelt suggested lend-lease policy
President would lend or lease arms and other supplies to countries whose defense was vital to U.S.”
Compared it to a lending garden hose to a neighbor whose house was on fire
It was the only sensible thing to do to prevent the spread of the fire
Isolationists again argued against it
However, support elsewhere helped Congress pass it
Known as the Lend-Lease Act

9. Supporting Stalin
Britain was not the only country to receive aid through lend-lease
Hitler broke pact with Stalin and invaded Soviet Union
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend”
Roosevelt sent aid to Soviet Union, despite some Americans being against it
“If Hitler invaded Hell, Britain would work with the devil himself”

10. German Wolf Packs
To provide aid to Britain and the Soviet Union, lines had to be kept open across the Atlantic Ocean
Hitler wanted to prevent this, so he deployed U-Boats (German Submarines) to attack any incoming ships
Wolf Pack Attack: During the night, groups of up to 40 submarines patrolled areas in the North Atlantic
These attacks were able to sink as many as 350,000 shipments in a single month
In September of 1941, Roosevelt was able to get permission for U.S. warships to attack German U-Boats
1943: Submarine menace was contained to electronic detection techniques (radar) and by airborne antisubmarine patrols

11. FDR Plans For War
Roosevelt was a popular President, but his foreign policy was constantly attacked
Roosevelt proposed an extension on the term of those who had been drafted
Roosevelt began planning for the war that was imminent

12. The Atlantic Charter
Roosevelt and Churchill met secretly aboard a battleship
Churchill wanted a military commitment from Roosevelt
He and Roosevelt joined together to declare their war aims
Called Atlantic Charter
Countries pledged to: collective security, disarmament, self-determination, economic cooperation and freedom of seas.
Atlantic Charter became basis for “A Declaration of the United Nations”
United Nations was a term Roosevelt suggested to express the purpose of the Allies
26 nations signed the declaration “four-fifths of the human race”

13. Shoot On Sight
After a German submarine attack on a US ship, Roosevelt ordered Navy commanders to respond
Two weeks later, an American merchant ship was sunk off the coast of Greenland. Another two ships were attacked as well. These attacks in total killed over 111 sailors
The Senate had no choice but to repeal the ban against letting merchant ships be armed

14. Japan Attacks the United States
Japan was able to expand after Germany had conquered much of Europe
Hideki Tojo, who was the chief of staff of Japan’s army, launched an invasion into China
Many colonial lands were unprotected and Japanese leaders knew this
At this time, only the United States remained in Japan’s way

15. Japan Attacks The United States
Japan began a push southward in July of 1941 by taking over French military bases in Indochina
U.S. protested this by completely cutting off trade with Japan
Japan could not live without one of the goods, which was oil
Leaders declared that U.S. needed to be persuaded or seize oil fields in Dutch East Indies. That would mean war

16. Peace Talks Are Questioned
Tojo met with the emperor Hirohito
Tojo said that the Japanese government would attempt to preserve peace with Americans, while at the same time telling his Navy to prepare for an attack on the U.S.
U.S. was able to crack the codes Japan used and had learned about the attack but they were unsure where it would be
In late November, Roosevelt sent out a “War warning” to military commanders in places like Hawaii, Guam and the Phillipines
“If war could not be avoided, the U.S. desires that Japan commit the first overt act”

17. The Attack on Pearl Harbor
On December 6, 1941, Roosevelt received a decoded message that instructed Japan’s peace envoy to reject all peace proposals from the U.S.
Early on December 7, 1941, A Japanese dive bomber plane entered over Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was the largest U.S. Naval base in the Pacific
The bomber plane was followed by over 180 Japanese warplanes that launched from six aircraft carriers
The Japanese were able to attack for over an hour and a half
The last plane left around 930

18. The Attack On Pearl Harbor
Less than two hours after they had started, over Americans had been killed and over more were injured
21 ships had been sunk or damaged and this included 8 battleships
300 aircraft were severely damaged or destroyed
The total losses were more than the damage done in WWI
Three aircraft carriers were able to survive

19. Reaction To Pearl Harbor
A day after the attack, Roosevelt gave his famous line:
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the Japanese launched an unprovoked and dastardly attack.”
Congress swiftly approved his request to declare war on Japan
Germany and Italy followed suit and declared war on the U.S. three days later
Former supporters of isolationism now wholeheartedly supported the American effort.