American Neutrality

1
American Neutrality

• Isolationism v. Interventionism in the 1930s

2
Good Neighbor Policy, 1933

• Latin America
• Trade
• Promised no military intervention
• Platt Amendment Abrogated

3
Recognition of Soviet Union

• Gentlemans Agreement, 1933
• Roosevelt-Litvinov Conversations
• Debt issues
• Non-interference

4
Isolationism

• Belief that US should stay out of foreign wars
  and other problems
• Rejection of Treaty of Versailles
• Leading proponents
• Charles Lindbergh
• Sen. William Borah (R- Idaho)
• Sen. George Norris (R- Nebraska)
• Rep. Hamilton Fish (R- New York)

5
Neutrality Acts

• FDR wanted flexibility to deal with international
  situation
• Many in Congress viewed flexibility as a problem
• 1935
• At outbreak of any war, embargo of arms and
  munitions for 6 months
• American ships prohibited from carrying arms to
  any belligerents

6
Critical Thinking

• Why do you think prohibition of shipping to
  belligerents was a focus of the 1935 Act?

7
Neutrality Acts

• 1936
• President can determine when state of war exists
• No loans or credits to belligerents
• 1937
• President can determine if civil war is a threat
  to peace
• Cash and carry sale of nonmilitary goods

8
Neutrality Act of 1939

• US officially neutral in European War
• BUT, urges Congress to approve cash and carry
  sale of arms
• Act of 1939
• Allows sale of arms
• Short term loans
• Still outlawed American transport

9
Public Opinion

• As Hitler overruns Europe, many Americans begin
  to feel Germany is a threat
• Two Camps
• Committee to Defend America
• Aid Allies so they can defeat Germany
• America First
• Charles Lindbergh
• Stay out of it

10
Preparedness

• FDR begins to prepare US military for action
• War Resources Board (1939)
• 1940
• US begins major production of ships and planes
• Selective Service and Training Act
• First peacetime draft
• Men, 21-35

11
Greenland

• In 1940, Hitler invades Denmark
• FDR declares that Greenland is covered under
  Monroe Doctrine
• US Coast Guard patrols Western Atlantic
• US occupies in 1941

12
Aiding the Allies

• Destroyers for Bases, 1940
• FDR agrees to exchange 50 US Destroyers in
  exchange for 99-year access to English air/naval
  bases in
• Newfoundland
• Bermuda
• Caribbean
• Way to get around Neutrality Acts

13
Aiding the Allies

• Election of 1940
• Roosevelt defeats Wendell Willkie
• Seen as mandate to continue aid to UK
• Lend-Lease Act, 1941
• US provides arms to UK for future repayment
• De facto end of neutrality
• Occupation of Iceland
• US marines occupy Iceland to keep it from Germans

14
Atlantic Charter

• August 9, 1941
• FDR and Winston Churchill meet on British
  battleship off Newfoundland
• Agreement for post-war world committed to
  self-determination for all nations
• Freedom from want and fear
• Beginning of idea of United Nations

15
Final Moves, 1941

• Shoot on Sight order
• US destroyer Greer attacked by German submarine
• FDR orders US military to shoot on sight any
  German or Italian ship in patrol zone
• US extends Lend-Lease to Russia
• Germany invades Russia in 1941

16
(No Transcript)