Interwar Period and Isolationism

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Interwar Period and Isolationism
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Post WWI Isolationism

• Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928
• US manipulated it into a no-war pact between more
  than a dozen major nations
• Aided US in isolating itself
• FDRs Good Neighbor policy
• US will respect the rights of others and not get
  involved in their affairs
• Mexico nationalizes oil in 1938 US stays out
  despite British interference Mexico pays for
  rights in 1941.

3
League of Nations and Japan

• Did not include US
• Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 withdrew from
  League of Nations
• League angrily decrys action, but no force to
  back it up
• USS Panay sunk in China by JapaneseJapan pays 2
  million in reparations issue glossed over and
  war avoided.

4
Rumblings of War

• Italy invades Ethiopia, 1935
• Germany occupies Rhineland (demilitarized at
  Versailles), 1936
• http//www.fsmitha.com/h2/map10eu.htm
• Germany and Italy support fascists in Spanish
  Civil War (1936-1939)

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Isolationism An Act of Congress

• 1934-Provisions for Philippine independence
• 1935-37 More Acts baring arms sales, especially
  to Spanish parties
• Cash Carry policy a compromise
• Popular Vote???
• 1938 FDR pushed for disarmament conferenceeven
  the Brits decline

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War in Europe

• Germany invades occupies Austria, 1938
• Germany invades Sudetenland, 1938
• Czechs mobilizeexpect British/French support
• Brits French meet with Hitlerallow him to
  annex Sudetenland
• Neville Chamberlain we have achieved peace in
  our time.

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War in Europe (Cont.)

• Germany annexes rest of Czechoslovakia, 1939
• Britain makes defense pact with Austria
• Italy invades Albania
• Brits make defense alliance with Greece and
  Romania
• US meanwhile paralyzed by isolationists

8
War in Europe (Cont.)

• Germany signs non-aggression pact with USSR, 1939
• Germany invades Poland, Sept. 1
• Britain/France declare war on Germany, Sept. 3
• Soviets invade Poland, Sept. 17

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War in Asia

• Japans invasion of and war against China slows
• US ends treaty from 1911 that sells arms to Japan
• Germany (ally of Japan) makes pact with USSR
  (enemy of Japan)

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War in Europe

• Blitzkrieglighting war
• Combined air land assaultspeed was the key
• Germany invades
• Norway, DenmarkApril, 1940
• Netherlands, Belgium, LuxembourgMay, 1940
• FranceJune, 1940
• British army driven back across English channel

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Battle of Britain

• Germans bombed British cities
• Brits had broken German secret codehelped RAF
  fight off some bombers
• Germans not able to invade Brits because of
  British resilience
• Postponed invasion plans
• Britain begins pleadingfor US aid

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The Home Front

• War in Europe scares some Americans
• Germany able to accomplish in several months more
  than all of WWI
• If Britain fell, so might its navy
• and combined with German navy would give
  Hitler access to whole Atlantic and our East
  coast

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The Home Front (Cont.)

• FDR issues policy of unrestricted aid to Allies
• Sent 50 old US destroyers to Brits in exchange
  for 8 sites to use as US bases in British land
• Sept. 1940FDR gets Congress to agree to
  peacetime draft
• FDR wins unprecedented 3rd term in November 1940
  over Wendel Wilkie (R)

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Lend-Lease Act

• March 1941
• Congress authorized the President to
• sell, transfer title to, exchange, lease,
  lend, or otherwise dispose of arms to any
  country the President deems vital to the defense
  of the United States.
• Eliminated the cash part of cash carry

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The Home Front (Cont.)

• FDR allows US navy to escort ships (mostly
  British) ½ way across Atlantic
• October, 1941German U-boats torpedo USS Kearny
  and USS Reuben James
• FDR allows US navy to shoot U-boats on sight
• Congress approves FDRs request to repeal carry
  part of cash-and carry policyUS merchant and war
  ships now crossing whole Atlantic with license to
  kill

USS Reuben James burns
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Undeclared War?

• US engaged in undeclared war
• It was only a matter of time until we sunk enough
  U-boats or they torpedoed enough of our ships
  until open war broke out
• Who would be first?