1. U.S. Enters the war

2. Do you believe the U.S. should become involved in the wars of other nations even when it is not under attack?

3. America turns to neutrality
Just as before WWI, the U.S. believed in isolationism: belief that the U.S. should avoid international commitments that might drag them into war
Americans feared war over German and Italian aggression
Neutrality Act of 1935: illegal for Americans to sell arms to any country at war

4. America turns to neutrality
Neutrality Act of 1937: still illegal to sell arms, but a country could buy supplies from the U.S. if they pick up supplies themselves and pay with cash, no loans. Known as cash and carry policy
Neutrality Act of 1939: warring nations could buy weapons from the U.S. only if they paid cash and carried arms on their own ships

5. Destroyers for Bases Deal
Churchill needed destroyers to protect cargo ships and to block a German invasion, FDR gave him the destroyers for military bases in Newfoundland, Bermuda, and the Caribbean.
This was a loophole, the Neutrality Act didn’t come into play because it did not involve and actual sale

6. FDR elected to a third term
FDR wins an unprecedented third term
American people chose to stick with a president they knew during the crisis period

7. Four freedoms speech Jan. 6, 1941: State of the Union Address
FDR said that the US needs to help Britain fight for democracy: Britain was the last democracy left in the war
Said that there are four main freedoms in which US and Britain stand for:
-Freedom of Speech
-Freedom of Worship
-Freedom from Want
-Freedom from Fear
very successful speech

13. Lend lease act
US would be able to lend or lease arms to any country considered “vital to the defense of the US.” (Britain)
If US helped Britain, no need to go to war
Gave over 40 billion worth of weapons
Also helped USSR (Hitler violets pact in June 1941)

14. The Hemispheric Defense Zone
German submarines were sinking hundreds of thousands of British shipping each month
FDR couldn’t send American ships because America was neutral
FDR got around this by stating that the western half of the Atlantic Ocean was part of the Western Hemisphere and therefore, neutral
Sent ships to patrol ocean

15. The Atlantic charter
A commitment between FDR and Churchill that after the war, they would fight for democracy
Also there would be free trade between the countries, economic advancement, and freedom of the seas
Paved the way for the United Nations

16. The rise of imperial japan
Pre-War Japan: They need resources: food and oil for rapidly growing population (remember, they do not have much land)
Growth of radical nationalism; especially in the army
Want to gain living space in Eastern Asia
Need a market for their goods
See themselves as the superior race in Asia

18. The rise of Imperial japan
Military officers blamed corrupt politicians for the economic situation
These officers said that the only way back to economic strength would be to seize territory
China had already been carved up the Open Door Policy, why shouldn’t Japan do the same?

19. Rise of imperial japan
First target: Manchuria, wanted it for Steele works
Politicians tried to end the war but the military officers assassinated him
The military was effectively now in control and established a puppet state in Manchuria: 1931

20. Rape of nanking Dec 1937-Jan 1938
Japan slowly carves away at China
The US gave aid to China through the lend-lease program
China’s capital, Nanking, falls to Japanese forces and General Iwane orders that the city be burned and destroyed
the Japanese butchered an estimated 150,000 male "war prisoners,"
massacred an additional 50,000 male civilians
raped at least 20,000 women and girls of all ages, many of whom were mutilated or killed in the process.
As a result, the US gets extremely angry and puts a embargo on trade in Japan, bans silk

23. Escalation to war
Japan puts troops in Indochina to go after rubber, this made them at easy striking distance to British ships
July 1941, FDR puts freeze on all oil and steel. Wants Japan out of China. Japan relied heavily on US imports
FDR sends General Douglas MacArthur to the Philippines to build up defenses

24. Escalation to war FDR would lift embargo if Japan left Indochina
Japan agreed to withdraw if U.S. sold Japan a million tons of oil
FDR considered it, but Britain and China protested it. Japan then sends more troops to Indochina
FDR demands withdraw, Japan considers this an insult and prepares for a strike

26. Pearl Harbor Japan strikes at 7:55am on Sunday December 7, 1941
Strategy: Had to destroy fleet, territory did not matter & it had to be a surprise attack
8 battleships
3 cruisers
4 destroyers
6 other vessels
188 Airplanes
killed 2403 Americans
US’s aircraft carriers which were out at sea getting repaired

29. Fdr did not know about the attack ahead of time
In October, The War Department knew that there might be an attack but did not regard it as important: They did not believe it, Japan did not have the airplanes necessary to carry on an attack, or so they thought