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Title Description Keywords Objectives Author Organisation Version Date Copyright 16. Reading – USA Isolation and Pearl Harbour Mark Callagher Focus Questions 1. What steps did the USA take to move out of isolation and neutrality? 2. Why was Roosevelt so opposed to the Fascist Dictators? 3. How did Japan come to the decision to go to war against the USA? 4. How did the wars in Europe and Asia expand into a global war? Policy of Isolation The USA avoided commitments to other powers where possible. The American public felt that they had been duped into WWI by Wilson’s false promises. The American Congress had not signed off on the Versailles Treaty and had prevented the US from joining the League of Nations. When dictators took control in Italy, Germany and Japan and began conquering weaker neighbours Americans decided to ignore the danger and wanted no part of the action. President Roosevelt Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) became US President in 1932 at the height of the depression in America. He was a popular President who had provided a lot of relief to the poor and unemployed. Roosevelt saw the growing dangers of the 1930s but could not act against public opinion <caption>President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)</caption> Neutrality Acts Neutrality Acts were passed by Congress from 1935-37 Between 1935 and 1937 Congress passed three "Neutrality Acts" that tried to keep the United States out of war, by making it illegal for Americans to sell or transport arms, or other war materials to belligerent nations (states at war). Isolationists vs Internationalists Supporters of neutrality, called "isolationists" by their critics, argued that America should avoid entangling itself in European wars. "Internationalists" rejected the idea that the United States could remain detached from Europe and held that the nation should aid countries threatened with aggression. Appeal to the Dictators After Germany broke the Munich Agreement in March 1939 Roosevelt appealed to Hitler and Mussolini. Roosevelt asked for a reciprocal exchange of pledges of nonaggression for ten years between them and 27 named states, to be followed by a conference on disarmament, raw materials and trade. In Italy and Germany Roosevelt was denounced as a “warmonger” for suggesting that the Fuhrer and the Duce contemplated war. <caption>“Warmonger” by Low, 18th April 1939</caption> American Confidence With Poland near defeat there was real confidence in the USA that Britain and France would defeat the Nazi aggressors. <caption> “One for me, one for you, one for me….” by Lees, Sunday Graphic (USA), 17 Sept 1939</caption> Cash and Carry Isolation ends When war broke out in Europe public opinion began to change. President Roosevelt tried to persuade Congress to change their attitude. One Senator argued: “If we repeal it, we are helping England and France. If we fail to repeal it, we will be helping Hitler and his allies. Absolute neutrality is an impossibility.” Disguised Neutrality The 1939 Neutrality Act set up a “cash and carry” basis. This allowed the cash sale of arms and equipment to any nation at war while forbidding US vessels and nationals from travelling in combat zones. Though sounding neutral the “cash and carry” law clearly favoured the allies. Any allied ship that could make the risky trip across the North Atlantic to US coastal ports could get war materials for cash. German ships could not make it past the British Navy. Fall of France The Fall of France led to growing concern in the United States. Roosevelt believed that Hitler threatened democracy. <caption> “So this is Isolation” by Low, 4 July 1940</caption> 50 Destroyers Control of the Atlantic was essential for the policy of Cash and Carry. Britain was now fighting a desperate was in the Atlantic against the German U-Boats (submarines). US assistance to Britain was of little help unless these vital trade routes were protected. The US gave 50 old destroyers to Britain to protect its Atlantic convoys. At the same time Roosevelt continued to reassure the American people that he was committed to keeping the US out of the European war. Winmedia File Path Width Height Autostart Align Long description Caption Link to player FDR_090139OutOfTheWar.wav C:\Documents and Settings\Mark Callagher\My Documents\History\PPT Origins of World War II\ 75 42 True Left FDR "Keep US out of war" speech False 1940 Election Campaign <caption>“Mutual Benefit” by Low, 5 Sept 1940</caption> By 1940 Roosevelt had been President for 8 years. It had been traditional that the President serves for only two terms but Roosevelt had managed to convince his Democratic Party that the grave war situation in Europe was an important reason for him to seek re-election. While campaigning Roosevelt’s opponents often criticised him for breaking neutrality and warned that he was leading the USA towards war with Germany because of its assistance of the British. The election campaign became focused around the possible future involvement of the USA in the European conflict. Winmedia File Path Width Height Autostart Align Long description Caption Link to player FDR_1940_Democratic_Convention.wav C:\Documents and Settings\Mark Callagher\My Documents\History\PPT Origins of World War II\ 75 42 True Left FDR speech to the 1940 Democratic Party Convention False <caption> “No Third Term Tradition” by Illingworth< Arsenal of Democracy After his re-election Roosevelt called on a national effort to aid Britain in its defence of democracy against the dictators. Roosevelt said that the US would become the “Arsenal of Democracy”, the provider of weapons to the democracies fighting the Fascist dictators. Winmedia File Path Width Height Autostart Align Long description Caption Link to player FDR_ArsenelDemocracy.wav C:\Documents and Settings\Mark Callagher\My Documents\History\PPT Origins of World War II\ 75 42 True Left FDR “Arsenal of Democracy” Speech, 29th Dec 1940 False Lend-Lease Act <caption>Roosevelt addressing the Nation in one of his “Fireside chats”</caption> Roosevelt’s “Arsenal of Democracy” became a reality when on the 11th March 1941 the US Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act. The legislation gave President Franklin D. Roosevelt the powers to sell, transfer, exchange, and lend equipment to any country to help it defend itself against the Axis powers. In effect the Act would give Britain unlimited US assistance. Britain received American loans of $31 billion to purchase military equipment under Lend-Lease. <caption>“Lease and Lend Bill” by Illingworth</caption> . Roosevelt’s Warning In April 1941, with the German defeat of Greece, Yugoslavia and Crete, Roosevelt clearly expressed his belief that Nazism must be defeated because it threatened not only Europe but America itself. FDR was clearly keen to go to war to help Britain but was unable to without the support of Congress. Winmedia File Path Width Height Autostart Align Long description Caption Link to player FDR410527AWorldDomination.mp3 C:\Documents and Settings\Mark Callagher\My Documents\History\PPT Origins of World War II\ 75 42 True Left <caption>“Black-out Time” by Low, 12th March 1941</caption> FDR “World Domination” speech, 27th May 1941 False Japanese Aggression Continues The Japanese had worried the Americans with their expansion into China. Japanese aircraft had sunk the American warship Panay during the invasion up the Yangtze River of China in 1937. Japan refused to listen to American concerns. Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere Japan had been interested in setting up a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. In reality it was an attempt to extend Japanese power and acquire an empire based on European models. French Indo-China When France and the Netherlands (Holland) fell to Germany in mid 1940, Japan saw an opportunity to absorb their Asian colonies into its empire. Japan therefore invaded French Indochina (later to become Vietnam). Tripartite Pact Japan set about tightening its ties with Germany and Italy in an obvious warning to the USA not to interfere. The Tripartite Pact was signed in Berlin 27 September 1940 by Imperial Japan, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. The agreement formalised the Axis Powers’ partnership, and can be read as a warning to the United States to remain neutral in World War II — or become involved in a war on two fronts. <caption>Hitler with Japanese and Italian representatives at the signing of the Tripartite Pact</caption> American Pressure The USA had become more and more concerned over the Japanese expansion. In July 1940 they had stopped exporting strategic goods to Japan. In 1941 they froze Japanese funds in the USA and cut off oil exports. This meant that Japan no longer had enough US dollars with which to buy oil and other vital materials from the USA. American assistance to the Chinese forces fighting the Japanese was also significantly increased. The American ‘freeze’ on Japanese assets encouraged the Japanese government to plan further conquests in South-East Asia. For if the Japanese could not buy the oil and other materials which it needed, it would have to take them by force from the European colonies which had them in plenty. Japanese Options With France and Holland beaten and Britain close to defeat, the only country which could stop Japan from taking more colonies was the USA. President Roosevelt had already moved the American Pacific fleet to the naval base at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, as a display to Japan of American military power. The US government also demanded that Japan withdraw from Indo-China and from China itself. Japan either had to stop fighting or take on the USA The Japanese Prime Minister was prepared to agree to this American demand, but he was opposed by many of the army chiefs, including the Minister of War, General Tojo. In October 1941 the Prime Minister resigned and was replaced by Tojo, nicknamed ‘The Razor’ because he believed in the use of force rather than negotiation. Tojo and the military chiefs had no intention of giving in to the American demands, and instead put into action plans for the takeover of all South-East Asia. They had to act soon as Japan was fast running out of oil reserves. <caption>General Tojo, Japanese Prime Minister, October 1941</caption> Pearl Harbour Tojo prepared to conquer all South East Asia and thus capture the oil supplies in the region of Sumatra in the Dutch East Indies. To do this properly the sea lanes had to be under Japanese control which meant getting rid of the American and British fleets in the Pacific and their bases in the Philippines and Singapore. Admiral Yamamoto’s Plan If the US went to war with Japan they expected an attack on the US controlled Philippines. Instead the Japanese Naval Leader, Admiral Yamamoto, came up with a risky plan that involved a sneak attack on Pearl Harbour. The aim would be to wipe out the American Pacific Fleet long enough to take the objectives in Southeast Asia. The difficulty would be to keep the large Japanese Fleet undetected until the attack was in progress. <caption>Admiral Yamamoto</caption> Pearl Harbour The focus of the attack was to wipe out Battleships and Aircraft Carriers which posed a threat to immediate Japanese fleet operations. <caption>Pearl Harbour Anchorage on the morning of the attack</caption> Sneak Attack The Japanese managed to sail their Carrier Fleet north of the Hawaiian Islands undetected. The attack occurred from 8am on Sunday 7th December and lasted for nearly two hours. Winmedia File Path Width Height Autostart Align Long description Caption Link to player cbsnewsflash.wav C:\Documents and Settings\Mark Callagher\My Documents\History\PPT Origins of World War II\ 75 42 True Left Pearl Harbour CBS Newsflash False <caption>Flight path of planes attacking Pearl Harbour and Air Bases< Photos of the attack <include> http://www.historyplace.com/specials/slideshows/pearl-harbor/pearl-harbor1.htm <width>620</width> <height>425</height> </include> Casualties Within a short time five of eight battleships at Pearl Harbour were sunk or sinking, with the rest damaged. Several other ships and most Hawaiibased combat planes were also knocked out and over 2400 Americans were dead. The one stroke of luck for the US was that the whole Carrier Fleet was at sea and saved from destruction. They had been the main target of the Japanese attack. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbour Japanese planes eliminated much of the American air force in the Philippines, and a Japanese Army was ashore in Malaya. <caption>Battleship USS Arizona</caption> USA Enters the War A packed Congress met the following day and was addressed by President Roosevelt who asked for a declaration of war on Japan. Winmedia File Path Width Height Autostart Align Long description Caption Link to player roosevelt infamy.mp3 C:\Documents and Settings\Mark Callagher\My Documents\History\PPT Origins of World War II\ 75 42 True Left FDR “Day of infamy” part of speech to congress, 8th December 1941 False Press Play Button: Winmedia <caption>Congress with Roosevelt giving the declaration of war</captio File Path Width Height Autostart Align Long description Caption Link to player Roosevelt declare war.mp3 C:\Documents and Settings\Mark Callagher\My Documents\History\PPT Origins of World War II\ 75 42 False Left FDR “Declare War” part of speech to congress, 8th December 1941 False Global War On 11th December 1941 Germany and Italy supported Japan, their Tripartite Pact partner, and declared war on the USA. Hitler’s Fears: “We are fighting the wrong people. We ought to have the British and Americans as our allies. We have been forced to make a mistake that will affect the history of the whole world”. The war which had <caption>Map showing Global War in 1942 – Allies=Red, Axis=Black</caption> started in Europe two years earlier had thus become the first truly global war. Japanese Gains By mid 1942 the Japanese had experience huge military success and expansion of their empire. British defeats Japan drove the British out of Malaya and proceeded to attack their naval fortress in Singapore from the land. Britain had intended to use the naval base to protect her colonies. Singapore fell in February 1942 with more than 80,000 British, Australian and Indian soldiers taken prisoner. American defeats The Americans feared little better. They lost the Philippine islands and other Pacific bases were over-run and Japan pushed its Empire right out into the Pacific. In 1942 the Axis Powers were to reach their peak in Europe, Asia and the Pacific Summary In the 1920’s and early 1930’s the USA adopted a policy of Isolation from European affairs. From 1935-37 Congress passed a series of Neutrality Acts which confirmed US isolation and its commitment to not assist nations at war. President Roosevelt, worried by the threat to worldwide democracy, from 1939-41 gradually moved the US away from isolation and into full support of Britain and its allies. Japanese efforts to set up its own empire in east Asia led to increasing conflict and pressure from the US. Military leaders took control of Japan and opted to go to war to help secure access to oil and other raw materials. Japanese carrier planes attacked Pearl Harbour which resulted in the US entering the war. Global war came about when Hitler and Mussolini sided with Japan and declared war on the United States.