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The Road to War Date Event Significance to the US * 1935, 36, & 37 Neutrality Acts Inspired by attack on Ethiopia, Neutrality Acts of ‘35, ‘36, and ‘37 set restrictions on travel, commerce, loans if president declared existence of war. Abandoned traditional policies of freedom of seas, for which US had fought 2 earlier wars. * 1937 October Quarantine Speech ”Quarantine the aggressors” – From a speech FDR gives in Chicago – the unofficial isolationist capital. Illustrates isolationist impulse **1939 October Neutrality Act “Cash & Carry”, but not to belligerent nations 1939 Franco & his fascists France is surrounded by fascists win Spanish Civil War - Spanish Civil War was ‘dress rehearsal” for WWII. - Fascist rebels led by Franco were supported by Hitler & Mussolini. - The National Socialist Workers Party Nazis - Meager help from USSR of Loyalist republican govt. hurt US sympathies. - US staying out in hindsight seen as aiding the fascists 1939 August Soviet – Nazi Non-Aggression Pact Hitler & Stalin agree not to attack each other (for selfish reasons these “enemies” agree) 1939 Sept. 1 Germany Invades Poland War begins! France & Great Britain declare war on Germany on Sept. 3 1940 June Fall of France 1940 Havana Conference Britain is the only democracy left in Europe - FDR called for huge air force & 2-ocean navy to check Japan - Congress appropriated $37B: 5x more than any budget. Sharing responsibility of the Monroe Doctrine - 20 Latin Am. nations & US committed to defend orphaned New World colonies from Germany. 1940 August Battle of Britain 1940 Sept. Conscription Law Bombardment of Britain - Blitzkrieg used Isolationists v. Interventionists Isolationists = America First Committee “America Firsters” / - Charles Lindbergh is the most famous isolationist. 1st peacetime draft in American History 1940 Sept. 1940 Nov. Destroyers for Bases Deal German subs have sunk over 50 British ships - need destroyers! Hey! I know! In exchange for using receiving these ships, we’ll just use these British naval bases out in the Caribbean and Atlantic. (Deal right? After all, how much did we pay Demark to purchase the Virgin Islands from them for a naval base at the turn of the 20th Century? > $17 mil.) - FDR gave ships without OK from Congress, isolationists & Republicans decried his methods. -“Phony War”: silent period after Poland fell as Germany moved army toward France. - Soviets crushed Finland despite $30M from US. - “Phony War” ended when Hitler overran Denmark & Norway(4/40), then Netherlands & Belgium (5/40). Election of 1940 FDR v. Wendell Willkie - Precedent of Washington? –GONE! - Don’t change horses in the middle of the stream! - FDR in an historic 3rd term 1941 January Four Freedoms speech Rallying the American people - What would we be fighting for?! 1941 March Lend-Lease 1941 May Robin Moor Congress proposed lend-lease bill after election: US would be “arsenal of democracy.” - Executive Order # 1776 – symbolic (Does w/o permission of Congress) - “If your neighbor’s house was on fire, you’d lend them your garden house…” They’d return it when the fire was out. Europe’s house is on fire - Would you lend chewing gum??... - Lend-lease prepared US factories for later all-out war. - Due to WWI memories, Germany had avoided sinking US ships prior to lend-lease. – Not anymore! Hitler under-stood lend-lease meant war. - US naval escort of lend-lease ships needed, but would likely result in war once attacked. - Hitler had ordered attacks on US ships only in selfdefense. - German U-Boat torpedoes, but misses ship 1941 June 1941 June Hitler attacks the Soviet Union Double-crosses Stalin - Hitler & Stalin bickered over control of Balkans (that’s where the oil is): Hitler decided to quickly crush Soviets, grab oil, then freely face Britain. - Hitler invaded, stroke of luck for democracies. - US offers Soviets assistance US strategy suggested lend-lease aid to Soviets: FDR granted $1B of eventual $11B. - Red Army, winter halted Germans at Moscow. US freezes Japanese assets in America & stops all shipments of materials of war Japan had been military ally of Germany since 9/40. Bogged down in China, Japan depended on US steel, iron, oil, aviation gasoline. - But FDR feared embargo would drive Japan to attack oil-rich Dutch East Indies. - US finally began embargo (late ‘40), then finally froze Japanese assets and ceased gas, war materials shipments (mid ‘41). - Japan forced to bow to US or attack Southeast Asia. - US demanded pullout from China to end embargo. 1941 August Atlantic Charter FDR & Churchill met for 1st time at Atlantic Conference on warship. > now called "summit diplomacy." > The first of these summits took place off the coast of Newfoundland > AKA -- Newfoundland Conference Resulted in 8-point Atlantic Charter: > a set of guiding principles intended to govern relations among states with the coming of peace. > Soviets later agreed. “Wilsonian” charter promised - No imperialism - No territorial change - Self-determination in govt. - Disarmament - Permanent system of collective security > a new League of Nations. 1941 Sept. USS Greer 7/41: FDR made fateful decision to convoy to Iceland. - Had ships purposefully follow U-Boat > Calculated risk??? - U-boat unsuccessfully attacked destroyer Greer. - FDR proclaimed shoot-on-sight policy. 1941 USS Kearny 1941 Nov. USS Rubin James U.S. destroyer Kearny damaged in U-boat attack, Reuben James sunk 2 weeks later. Congress neutered Neutrality Act of ‘39: merchant ships could arm & enter combat zones with munitions for Britain. - Undeclared shooting war in the North Atlantic 1941 Oct. - Dec. The Kurusu Mission Kurusu was sent to the US when Gen Hideki Tojo became prime minister - there to propose a settlement to US/Japan differences end embargoes and unfreeze Japanese assets - Japanese ambassador to US already there K. Nomura 1941 December 7 Japan bombs Pearl Harbor US code breakers knew in advance. - But attack expected at Malaya or Philippines, not Hawaii. - 3000 US casualties in attack on Pearl Harbor, 8 battleships sunk or crippled. - Luckily, all 3 US aircraft carriers were outside harbor. - Next day FDR goes before Congress “A date that will live in infamy” - Congress declared war: 1-vote shy of unanimity. - Germany, Italy declared war on US on 12/11. - Congress unanimously accepted on same day. - Japanese attack transformed a divided US Now all in for the all-out for war. - US came to understand that no nation was safe: appeasement hadn’t worked. - Most Americans were now determined to stand up to dictators, even if war followed.