Transcript FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT AND THE SHADOW OF WAR—1933 …

FRANKLIN D.
ROOSEVELT AND
THE SHADOW OF
WAR—1933-1941
Chapter 34
The London Economic Conference
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Roosevelt’s willing to be an isolationist if it would
help the domestic economy.
66 nations meet. Purpose win agreement on
measures to fight global depression, revive
international trade, and stabilize currency exchange
rates.
Roosevelt worries about the domestic recoverypulls out.
Roosevelt’s rejection of the agreement gathered an
overwhelmingly negative response from the British,
the French, and internationalists in the United
States:
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World depression gets worse and everyone pursues their
own policies.
Leads to an increase in nationalism.
Reduces chances for international cooperation on other
issues
Philippines and Russia
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Philippines were a liability not an asset
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Tydings-McDuffie Act in 1934—Provided for the
independence of the Philippines after a twelve-year
period of economic tutelage.
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Labor doesn’t want to compete with Pilipino workers
Gave up army bases, but keep Naval bases
US looks isolationist.
1933 US recognized the Bolshevik regime in USSR.
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Wants to balance power of the Nazi regime
Anticommunists and Catholics objected.
Becoming A Good Neighbor
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Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor
Policy - more isolationism?
Gives up unpopular military
intervention.
Marines out of Haiti, Cuba
released from Platt.
Policy receives a test in 1938
when Mexicans seize
American oil properties. No
US troops
Policy was successful
Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act (1934)
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Secretary of State Cordell Hull.
Aimed at both relief and recovery.
Negotiated tariff agreements between
the United States and separate nations,
particularly Latin American countries. It
resulted in a reduction of duties.
Whittled down the worst parts of
Hawley-Smoot.
President had authority without
consulting Congress.
Gets agreements with 21 countries
Reduced the traditional US protective
tarriffs – move toward free trade
Rise of Hitler in Germany
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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.
Japan and Italy
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Japan also a growing threat.
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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.
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Seeking glory and empire for Italy in
Africa
League of Nation reaction? Reason?
Isolationism
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Why didn’t America Act?
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Rise of fascists increased
desire to avoid
entanglement..
Johnson Debt Default Act.
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Better Keep to the Old Channel
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 didn’t effect them.
preventing the debt-dodging
nations from borrowing further
in the United States
Senator Gerald Nye (R-North Dakota), Head of the Senate
Munitions Investigating Committee
Congress Legislates Neutrality
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Who does the public now blame for
WWI?
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US loaned the United Kingdom and its
allies 2.3 billion dollars
loaned Germany 27 million dollars
Nye Committee
Congress passes Neutrality Acts in
1935, 36 and ’37
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when the president proclaimed the
existence of a foreign war, certain
restrictions would automatically go into
effect. No American could legally sail on
a belligerent ship, sell or transport
munitions to a belligerent, or make loans
to a belligerent
Effect of Neutrality Acts
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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
Encouraged totalitarian regimes and
hurt democratic ones, because they
received no aid from US.
America Dooms Loyalist Spain
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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.
Appeasing Japan
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1937 Japan invades Manchuria with the intent of
making it a Japanese colony.
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Rape of Naking
Roosevelt refuses to call this a war. Why?
The Quarantine Speech given by FDR in 1937
calling for an international "quarantine of the
aggressor nations" as an alternative to the political
climate of American neutrality and isolationism
“When an epidemic of physical disease starts to spread,
the community approves and joins in a quarantine of the
patients in order to protect the health of the community
against the spread of the disease.”
 The speech intensified America's isolationist mood,
causing protest by non-interventionists and foes to
intervention
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Dec. 1937, USS Panay. 3 sailors men were killed,
and forty-three wounded
Japan abuses Americans in China. Thinks US is
weak
Hitler on the Rise
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1935 breaches Versailles treaty by reintroducing the
draft.
1936 marches troops into the demilitarized Rhineland
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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
Hitler then begins making demands for the Sudetenland
Munich Conference
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Allies desperate to avoid war.
30 September 1938] Hitler,
Chamberlain, Mussolini and Daladier
signed the Munich Agreement.
Democracies have no real leverage.
Appeasement
Allowed Germany to erase the
boundaries of the Versailles Treaty
without taking military action. It was
also agreed that the sovereignty of
Poland would be protected, and thus
a line was drawn that Germany
would not be allowed to cross
without risking full scale war.
Neville Chamberlain: “Peace in our
time”
Hitler-Stalin Pact
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France-England attempt to negotiate a mutual defense
pact with Stalin.
August, 1939, Stalin-Hitler sign a non-aggression pact.
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Stalin’s motive?
Seals the fate of Europe.
Poland was also to be divided
Hitler’s demands territorial
from Poland.
concessions
WWII Begins
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Poland refuses and
Germany marches in
unleashing its Blitzkrieg
9/1/39.
WWII has begun.
Stalin moves into Eastern
Poland
England and France
declare war, but can’t do
much about Poland,
which surrenders in three
weeks.
US Reaction to Fall of Poland
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Roosevelt issues proclamation of
neutrality.
US generally anti-Nazi.
Roosevelt wants to amend
Neutrality Acts
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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.
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Cash and Carry
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FDR calls a special session of
Congress; passes Neutrality
Act of 1939
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Cash-and-Carry
 Selling point of Cash and
Carry?
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Purchases from England and
France help lift US economy
Hitler Runs Amok
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April 1940 Hitler attacks Denmark
and Norway.
May attacks Netherlands and
Belgium, then France.
June 1940 France is forced to
surrender
Miracle of Dunkirk
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Very significant because saves a huge
chunk of British army.
US shocked by quick fall of France
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Impact on public attitude
Threat to US of German domination
Europe
US Starts to Arm
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FDR calls for building of huge air fleet and a twoocean navy that would check both Germany and
Japan.
Congress approves 37 Billion
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Congress passes a conscription law, Sept. 1940.
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More than the cost of WWI and 5-times larger than
any annual budget for New Deal.
America’s first peace-time draft.
Havana Conference of 1940
Battle of Britain
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August 1940 Battle of
Britain begins
Battle rages for
months.
German advantages
British advantages.
British planes chew
up Luftwaffe
Battle of Britain in US
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Edward R. Murrow.
Impact of radio reports on
Battle of Britain on US
public opinion.
Hitler eventually indefinitely
postpones invasion—huge
mistake.
Fortress America?
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Issue: Whether to
provide scarce resources
to GB or to husband all
resources so that
available to US
America First
Committee.
Destroyer Deal
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British in desperate need of destroyers. Why?
In exchange, the US was granted land in various British
possessions for the establishment of naval or air bases,
on ninety-nine-year rent-free leases.
Isolationists scream
Is a clear departure from neutrality
But public opinion supported all aid to UK short of war.
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Wilkie?
In 1940 Republicans nominate
Wendell Wilkie.
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A corporate lawyer in the United
States and the Republican Party
(GOP) nominee for the 1940
presidential election, despite having
never held a prior elected political
office.Attitude toward New Deal
foreign policy.
Wilkie does not exploit resentment
against FDR among isolationists
Lend-Lease
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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.
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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
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Atlantic Charter
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June 1941 Hitler invades the Soviet
Union.
Takes the pressure off UK and divides
his army.
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Soviets are on the edge of defeat.
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What is he thinking?
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.
Atlantic Charter
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Leads to 8-point plan for
post-war world. Atlantic
Charter. Similar to
Wilson’s 14 points
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Pledges that countries will
not have borders changed
 Self determination and
return to pre-war
governments
 League of nations type
organization.
U.S. Destroyers And Hitler’s U-boats
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Lend-Lease to GB was faltering. Clashes with
Subs—
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9/41—Greer attacked without damage
10/41—Kearny attacked but not sunk
10/41—Reuben James sunk with loss of more than
100.
Congress pulls Neutrality legislation and
authorizes the arming of Merchant ships.
In the meantime……out in the Pacific
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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.
Late 1940 US does impose sanctions.
1941 freeze Japanese assets and ends all oil shipments.
Japan’s choices
US has broken code and knows that Japan plans to
attack somewhere.
Warnings from US to Pearl Harbor are late in arriving.
Pearl Harbor
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December 7, 1941 Japanese aircraft
carriers launch waves of attack planes.
Destroy most of US Pacific fleet at
Pearl Harbor.
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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 day—Congress declares war.
Japan and Germany are allies—
Germany and Italy then declare war on
US. U.S. declares war on Germany.
We are in.
FDR Signs Declaration of War