FRANKLIN D' ROOSEVELT AND THE SHADOW OF WAR19331941

1
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT AND THE SHADOW OF
WAR1933-1941

• Chapter 34

2
The London Conference

• Roosevelts willing to be an isolationist if it
  would help the domestic economy.
• 66 nations meet. Purpose and primary goal
• Roosevelt pulls out. Why?
• Roosevelt pulls the rug out from underneath the
  conference and nothing is accomplished
• Results
• World depression gets worse and everyone pursues
  their own policies.
• Leads to an increase in nationalism.
• Reduces chances for international cooperation on
  other issues

3
Philippines and Russia

• Why was US ready to give up the Philippines?
• Tydings-McDuffie Act in 1934Provided for the
  independence of the Philippines after a
  twelve-year period of economic tutelage.
• Gave up army bases, but keep Naval bases
• 1933 US recognized the Bolshevik regime in USSR.
  
• Why?
• Anticommunists and Catholics objected.

4
Becoming A Good Neighbor

• Roosevelts Good Neighbor Policy
• Impact in Latin America.
• Reasons were somewhat selfish.
• Policy receives a test in 1938 when Mexicans
  seize American oil properties.
• Policy was a great success

5
Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act (1934)

• Secretary of State Cordell Hull.
• Aimed at both relief and recovery.
• Provision.
• Whittled down the worst parts of Hawley-Smoot.
• President had authority without consulting
  Congress. Benefits?
• Rationale for Act ?
• Get agreements with 21 countries

6
Rise of Hitler in Germany

• Germans economically crushed by Versailles
  treaty. Desperate and resentful
• Hitler a powerful orator and politically
  aggressive
• Germany has a potent industrial base and
  technological talent.
• US made things worse by refusing to ratify the
  league of nations, thus eliminating the moral
  strength of that body.

7
Japan and Italy

• Japan also a growing threat.
• Resentful. Why?
• Growing increasingly militaristic
• Lusted after space and resources of neighbors.
  Why?
• 1934 terminated the naval Treaty and started
  aggressively building navy. American response?
• 1935 Mussolini attacks Ethiopia. Easily crushes
  it.
• Seeking glory and empire for Italy in Africa
• League of Nation reaction? Reason?

8
Isolationism

• Why didnt America Act?
• Distracted by the depression
• Vividly recall the losses of WWI
• feel safe behind the protection of two oceans,
• largely believed that what happened in the rest
  of the world didnt effect them.
• Rise of fascists increased desire to avoid
  entanglement..
• Johnson Debt Default Act.

Better Keep to the Old Channel
9
Congress Legislates Neutrality

• Who does the public now blame for WWI?
• Congress passes Neutrality Acts in 1935, 36 and
  37
• Basic Rule?

10
Effect of Neutrality Acts

• Is an abandonment of Americas traditional policy
  of freedom of the high seas and the right of
  Americans to ship to both sides in a war.
• Effectively removed America from the arena as an
  agent that can stop or blunt war and aggression.
  Made America reactive and at the mercy of world
  events.
• Encouraged totalitarian regimes and hurt
  democratic ones, because they received no aid
  from US.

11
America Dooms Loyalist Spain

• The Spanish Civil War (1936-39) shows fallacy of
  Neutrality policy
• Franco and other fascist rebels tried to
  overthrow the left-leaning but democratic
  government of Spain. Franco is aided by Hitler
  and Mussolini.
• Congress prohibits aid to EITHER side.
• Condemns democratic Spain to slow strangulation
• Dictators believe that Democracies will not take
  action to stop them.

12
Whittling Down the Big Stick

• State of American military compared to Germany
  and Japan.
• Americans attitude toward navy.
• Effect of depression
• Reaction to FDRs call for increased military
  preparedness

13
Appeasing Japan

• 1937 Japan invades Manchuria with the intent of
  making it a Japanese colony. Why?
• Roosevelt refuses to call this a war. Why?
• Fall 1937 Roosevelt makes famous Quarantine
  Speech
• What does he call for?
• How does Congress and Country react.
• Dec. 1937, USS Panay.
• Japan abuses Americans in China. Thinks US wimpy

14
Hitler on the Rise

• 1935 breaches Versailles treaty by reintroducing
  the draft.
• 1936 marches troops into the demilitarized
  Rhineland
• Britain and France reaction.
• Hitler begins to persecute and discriminate
  against the Jews.
• 1937 starts building the military at an
  aggressive pace,
• March 1938 Hitler marches without resistance into
  Austria

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• Hitler then begins making demands for the
  Sudetenland

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Munich Conference

• Allies desperate to avoid war.
• Munich Conference 9/38
• Democracies have no real leverage. Appeasement
• Germany gets Sudetenland. What does it promise?
• Neville Chamberlain Peace in our time

17
Hitler-Stalin Pact

• France-England attempt to negotiate a mutual
  defense pact with Stalin.
• Why dont they get one?
• August, 1939, Stalin-Hitler sign a non-aggression
  pact.
• Stalins motive?
• Seals the fate of Europe.
• Poland.
• Hitlers demand on Poland.

18
WWII Begins

• Poland refuses and Germany marches in unleashing
  its Blitzkrieg 9/1/39.
• WWI has begun.
• Stalin moves into Eastern Poland
• England and France declare war, but cant do much
  about Poland, which surrenders in three weeks.

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US Reaction to Fall of Poland

• Roosevelt issues proclamation of hostilities.
  Consequences?
• US attitude toward war.
• Roosevelt wants to amend Neutrality Acts
• Knows that European democracies are woefully
  unprepared and will not win on their own.
• Wants to lift the arms-sale restrictions
  entirely.
• But, knows that neither the nation nor Congress
  is ready for that.

20
Cash and Carry

• FDR calls a special session of Congress passes
  Neutrality Act of 1939
• Cash-and-Carry
• Selling point of Cash and Carry?
• Purchases from England and France help lift US
  economy

21
Hitler Runs Amok

• April 1940 Hitler attacks Denmark and Norway.
• May attacks Netherlands and Belgium, then France.
• June 1940 France is forced to surrender

22
Dunkirk

• Miracle of Dunkirk
• Very significant because saves a huge chunk of
  British army.
• US shocked by quick fall of France
• Impact on public attitude
• Threat to US of German domination Europe

23
US Starts to Arm

• FDR calls for building of huge air fleet and a
  two-ocean navy that would check both Germany and
  Japan.
• Congress approves 37 Billion
• More than the cost of WWI and 5-times larger than
  any annual budget for New Deal.
• Congress passes a conscription law, Sept. 1940.
• Americas first peace-time draft.
• Havana Conference of 1940

24
Battle of Britain

• August 1940 Battle of Britain begins
• Battle rages for months.
• German advantages
• British advantages.
• British planes chew up Luftwaffe

25
Battle of Britain in US

• Edward R. Murrow.
• Impact of radio reports on Battle of Britain on
  US public opinion.
• Hitler eventually indefinitely postpones
  invasionhuge mistake.

26
Fortress America?

• Issue Whether to provide scarce resources to GB
  or to husband all resources so that available to
  US
• What do supporters of aid argue?
• What do those against aid argue?
• America First Committee.

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Destroyer Deal

• British in desperate need of destroyers. Why?
• Destroyer Deal. Details
• Isolationists scream
• Is a clear departure from neutrality
• But public opinion supported all aid to GB short
  of war.

28
Wilkie?

• In 1940 Republicans nominate Wendell Wilkie. Why
  such a surprise?
• Background.
• Personality
• Attitude toward New Deal
• foreign policy.
• Wilkie does not exploit resentment against FDR
  among isolationists

29
FDR Three-peat

• FDR keeps the country in suspense, but decides to
  run for a third term.
• FDR pledges that Your boys are not going to be
  sent into any foreign wars.
• FDR wins easily, but not as triumphantly as the
  first two times.
• FDR might not have won if not for war. Also
  might not have run.

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Lend-Lease

• By late 1940 Cash and Carry not working for
  Britain. Why?
• FDR knows that Congress will not approve cash
  loans to allies.
• Proposes Lend-lease. How does it work?
• FDR proposes making the US the arsenal of
  democracy.
• This bill is vigorously debated throughout the
  nation.
• Passes in March, 1941. Was a clear declaration of
  hostility to Hitler.
• May, 1941 Germans sink first US merchant ship

32
Atlantic Charter

• June 1941 Hitler invades the Soviet Union and
  opens up a second front in his rear.
• Takes the pressure off GB and divides his army.
• What is he thinking?
• Soviets are on the edge of defeat.
• Roosevelt extends lend-Lease to Soviets. Extends
  1 Bill. of what will eventually be 11 Billion.
• Atlantic Conference-8/41. First of a series of
  meetings between Churchill and Roosevelt.

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Atlantic Charter

• Leads to 8-point plan for post-war world.
  Atlantic Charter. Similar to Wilsons 14 points
• Pledges that countries will not have borders
  changed
• Self determination and return to pre-war
  governments
• League of nations type organization.

34
U.S. Destroyers And Hitlers U-boats

• Lend-Lease to GB was faltering. Why?
• FDR response.
• Clashes with Subs
• 9/41Greer attacked without damage
• 10/41Kearny attacked but not sunk
• 10/41Reuben James sunk with loss of more than
  100.
• Congress pulls Neutrality legislation and
  authorizes the arming of Merchant ships.

35
In the meantimeout in the Pacific

• Japan is mired in China. US is pressuring them
  to get out,
• Japan is heavily dependent on US steel, oil,
  gasoline and other war supplies. If US cuts them
  off, Japan is toast.
• FDR reluctant to impose sanctions. Why?
• Late 1940 US does impose sanctions.
• 1941 freeze Japanese assets and ends all oil
  shipments.
• Japans choices
• US has broken code and knows that Japan plans to
  attack somewhere.
• Warnings from US to Pearl Harbor are late in
  arriving.

36
Pearl Harbor

• December 7, 1941 Japanese aircraft carriers
  launch waves of attack planes. Destroy most of
  US Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor.
• 8 battleships, most of aircraft, 3000 casualties.
  
• But, three US carriers were out to sea and were
  spared.
• Japanese failed to destroy repair facilities,
  allowing US to stay at Pearl and repair the
  fleet. Big mistake.
• Next dayCongress declares war.
• FDR Speech
• Japan and Germany are alliesGermany and Italy
  then declare war on US. U.S. declares war on
  Germany. We are in.

37
FDR Signs Declaration of War