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America Enters World War II
1
As the rest of the world rushed toward war, the United
States was unwilling to become involved in another European
conflict. Following World War I, the United States had refused
to join the League of Nations and adopted a policy of
isolationism. Many Americans believed that the country should
stay out of other countries’ problems. The Great Depression
strengthened this belief. Americans found themselves more
worried about their next paycheck than some madmen half a
world away. However, the actions of other countries soon
made it impossible for the U.S. to remain neutral in the
conflicts. Even though the nation tried to stay out of the war,
the American people began to take sides. Many of them
supported Great Britain.
1.
Gradual change in
American policy from
neutrality to
involvement

policy of ___________
following WWI and
Great Depression
What policy did the United States support at the end
of World War I?
2. Who were the three “madmen half a world away”?



2
As America closed its eyes, the German Army stormed
across Europe conquering countries such as Belgium, Denmark,
Norway, and France. Great Britain fought on but was
increasingly threatened by the German advance.
3
President Franklin Roosevelt hoped for peace in Europe;
however, he knew that Americans should prepare for war in
case the U.S. was attacked. FDR asked Congress to budget
billions of dollars for defense and called for the nation’s first
peacetime draft to make sure there were enough American
Major Events of WWII
soldiers.

4
President Roosevelt also searched for ways in which the
U.S. could help the Allies but stay out of the war. In September
1940, the U.S. gave Great Britain war supplies and old naval
warships in return for military bases in Bermuda. With the
future of its Allies at stake, the United States also began to offer
The U.S. gives
_________ _________
war supplies and old
warships in return for
military bases in
Bermuda and the
Caribbean.
economic aid. President Roosevelt acted quickly to push the
Lend-Lease Act through Congress. This legislation gave the
president the authority to sell, trade, lease, or transfer
$50,000,000,000 worth of military equipment to help any
country defend itself against the Axis Powers.
Gradual change in
American policy from
neutrality to
involvement

3. The
______________-________________
Act
allowed President Roosevelt to sell, trade, lease, or 
transfer military equipment to help any nation defend
itself against the Axis Powers.
isolationism following
WWI and Great
Depression
____________ aid to
the Allies (including the
Lend-Lease Act)
4. The U.S. also received _______________
_______________ in Bermuda in exchange for war
supplies they gave to Great Britain.
5
Unable to maintain a policy of isolationism, the United War in the Pacific
States would soon be drawn into direct conflict. Throughout  Rising tensions
developed between the
the 1930s, relations between Japan and the U.S. grew worse.
United States and
The U.S. protested when Japan aggressively took control of
Japan because of
regions in East Asia. Its growing industries depended on
Japanese aggression in
supplies of iron, rubber, and oil. As a result, Japanese military
East ___________.
leaders began conquering neighboring countries in Asia and the
Pacific to meet this demand. In response, President Roosevelt
called for an international embargo to cut off all shipments of
foreign resources, such as oil supplies and scrap iron, to Japan.
Japan depended on the U.S. for more than half of its oil. The
American government hoped that cutting off part of Japan’s oil
supply would stop the Japanese from invading more countries
and retreat to its own soil. Unfortunately, it did not.
5. Japan became more aggressive with its neighbors in
____________ _______________ in order to gain
needed supplies of natural resources such as iron,
rubber, and oil.
6. President Roosevelt responds to this Japanese
aggression by calling for an international
__________________ that would cut off all
shipments of needed resources to Japan.
6
The Japanese government had other ideas, however. On Gradual change in
the morning of December 7, 1941, the Japanese naval and naval American policy from
air forces launched a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at neutrality to involvement
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, home to the Pacific Fleet The Japanese  isolationism following
wanted to make sure the U.S. would not prevent them from
WWI and Great
forming a huge empire. Over the next two hours the Japanese
Depression
military dropped bombs that would kill over 2,400 U.S. military  economic aid to the Allies
(including the Lendmen, destroy about 150 planes, and sink or badly damage
Lease Act)
nineteen warships.. As terrible as the losses were, they could
have been worse. The Japanese bomber planes did not hit the  __________________
involvement in the war
valuable oil supplies nearby. Plus, the Pacific Fleet’s three
following attack on Pearl
aircraft carriers were out of port on training exercises and
Harbor
escaped the attack.
7
The United States had been caught totally unaware. Major Events of WWII
America could no longer maintain neutrality. Calling it “a date  On December 7, 1941,
which will live in Infamy,” President Roosevelt addressed
Japan attacked the U.S.
at _______________
Congress on December 8, 1941 to ask for a declaration of war
______________ in
against Japan. He said,
Hawaii without warning.
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in  The U.S. declared war on
______________.
Infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and
 Roosevelt—
deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the
“Yesterday, December
Empire of Japan . . . I ask that the Congress declare that
7, 1941—a date which
since the . . . attack by Japan . . . a state of war has
will live in
existed between the United States and the Japanese
___________. . .”
Empire.”
 _________________
declared war on U.S.
 The U.S. declared war on
_______________.
Three days later, Germany and Italy responded by
8
declaring war on the United States, and Congress declared war
on them, also.
7. What date will “live in Infamy”?
8. What event occurred on this date?
9. Who called this date “a day that shall live in
infamy”?
10. What did the President ask Congress to do the day
after the attack?
11. How did Germany respond to Congress’s action
against the Japanese?
REVIEW
9
Upon entering the war, the United States became a The Allies
member of the Allied Powers. The Allies included the  _______________
democratic nations of the United States, led by President
nations including the
Franklin D. Roosevelt, and at the end of the war, President
U.S., Britain, and
Harry S. Truman, Great Britain, led by Prime Minister Winston
Canada were known
Churchill, and Canada. The Soviet Union, led by Joseph Stalin,
as the Allies.
joined the Allies after being invaded by Germany.
 The __________
___________ joined
12. What form of government did the Allies support?
the Allies after being
invaded by Germany.
13. What two men led the United States during World  Allied Leaders
 ______________
War II?
and __________-
U.S.

 _____________-14. What man led Great Britain during the war?
Great Britain
 _____________-Soviet Union
15. Which country formed an early alliance with
Germany, only to join the Allies after being attacked
by the Germans?
16. What man led the country you named in Question
#15?
17. List the four main countries that made up the Allies
in World War II.



