1. America Moves Towards War

2. The United States Musters Its Forces
Moving Cautiously Away from Neutrality
Sept. 1939, FDR persuaded Congress to pass a “Cash & Carry” provision
Providing arms to other countries like France & Britain
Help them defeat Hitler w/o having to actually enter the war
Congress passed the Neutrality Act of 1939

3. The Axis Threat By summer of 1940, France & Britain were under siege
FDR started sending supplies to Britain to help with the war effort
He called his aid:
“All Aid Short of War”

4. The Tripartite Pact is signed by Germany, Italy & Japan – the countries become known as the Axis Powers
The Axis Powers goal was to keep the United States out of the war
The Axis Powers made a pact saying if the United States attacked any of them, the other countries would come to their defense creating a Two-Front/Ocean war for the United States

5. Building U.S. Defenses
FDR asked Congress to increase spending for national defense
Congress also passed the Selective Training & Service Act
1940: 1st peace time Draft in history!

6. FDR Runs for a Third Term
FDR was the first president to run for a 3rd Term
His Republican opponent was Wendell Willkie
Both men promised to keep American out of the war
FDR was re-elected with nearly 55% of the votes cast

7. “The Great Arsenal of Democracy”
The Lend-Lease Plan
Britain had no money to spend on defending their country
FDR creates the Lend-Lease policy
Isolationists did not support the policy but most of the American people supported the policy and Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act in March of 1941

8. Supporting Stalin
June 1941 Hitler broke his agreement with Stalin not to invade the Soviet Union
FDR started to send lend-lease supplies to the Soviet Union
FDR said the reason he was sending supplies was because “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”

9. German Wolf Packs
To prevent the lend-lease supplies from reaching Britain & the Soviet Union, Hitler used German submarines, U-Boats, to attack ships
The attacks became known as wolf pack attacks
In 1941, FDR granted the navy permission to attack any U-Boats in self-defense

10. FDR Plans for War The Atlantic Charter
FDR and Churchill met secretly aboard the battleship USS Augusta to discuss plans
Both countries signed a joint declaration of war aims called the Atlantic Charter
The Atlantic Charter became the basis of a “A Declaration of the United Nations” later
The Allied powers became nations that fought the Axis powers

11. Shoot on Sight
After a U.S. destroyer was attacked by a German sub FDR told the navy to shoot the submarines on sight
The attacks on American Navel & Merchant ships continued, and the Senate repealed the ban against arming merchant ships

12. Japan Attack the United States
Japan’s Ambitions in the Pacific
In July 1937, Hideki Tojo, chief of staff of Japan’s Kwantung Army, launched an invasion of China
By 1941 only the U.S. and the Pacific Islands remained not under Japanese control in the Pacific Ocean
The United States cut off trade with Japan including the goods Japan most needed (fuel)

13. Peace Talks are Questioned
Tojo became the prime minister of Japan and told Emperor Hirohito he would attempt to preserve peace with the U.S.
November 5, 1941, Tojo told the Japanese navy to prepare for an attack on the United States
US broke Japan’s codes and knew a strike was coming, but didn’t know where

14. FDR sent out a ‘war warning’ to military commanders in Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippines
The peace talks between Japan and the US lasted for a month
December 6, 1941, FDR received a decoded message telling the Japanese to reject all American peace proposals

15. The Attack on Pearl Harbor
Early on Dec. 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese
Pearl Harbor was the largest US navel base in the Pacific
The attack was over by 9:30 that morning
In less than two hours 2,403 people had died and 1,178 were wounded and the raid had sunk or destroyed 21 ships

17. Reaction to Pearl Harbor
The next day FDR addressed Congress and they quickly approved the request for a declaration of war against Japan
Three days later Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S.