Chapter 16

“I hope the United States will keep out of this war. I believe that it will. And I give you assurances that every effort of our government will be directed toward that end.”

Industrialism, private profit and competition esp. competition for raw material .

Roosevelt and his Platform in 1933

1. Plot to assassinate of Hitler by Ludwig Beck and Franz Halder

2. Concessions to Japan under the leadership of Fumimiro Konoyo

These two options could have averted the war but it is “counterfactual” history

Alternatives to war

Unlike Wilson who called on his citizens to be impartial both in thought and action, Roosevelt was openly in favor of the Allied Powers.

Cash and Carry policy: In theory both sides could buy from the US but since Britain ruled the waves the benefit of the bill was for Britain and France. Unneutrality of the bill.

Declaration of Panama: Safety belt around the Americas 300 to 1000 miles wide: Combatant were warned not to engage in any naval activity.

Differences between Roosevelt and Wilson

In April 1940 Hitler occupied Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium and half of France and within the German troops were at the English Channel.

Hitler in Europe

1. In August he exchanged 50 mothballed destroyers with Britain in return for 99 year leases on naval and air bases in Newfoundland, Bermuda, West Indies and British Guaina

2. Authorization to spend 4m$for a two ocean-navy ships

3. Added two venerable Republicans to his cabinet to give a flavor of national unity.

Roosevelt’s Reaction

1. Set up a Joint Board Defense with Canada.2. Conclusion of an agreement with the Latin

American nations in Havana, affirming that all of them would stand as one to protect the integrity of the political independence of an American State.

3. Passage of the First Selective Service Act allowing for the immediate draft of 800000 men

Lend-Lease Act: the chief executive was authorized to sell, transfer, exchange, lease or lend any war material to any government that the president deems vital to the defense of the United States.

In May 1940, President ordered 50 oil tankers transferred to British use, and after a freighter had been sunk by a German U-Boat the president declared a state of unlimited national emergency.

Roosevelt: Our Bunker Hill of tomorrow will be several thousands miles from Boston internationalist agenda of Roosevelt.

Contrary to the common belief that Japan was the instigator of the attack it was the United States which led Japan to attack Pearl Harbor.

General George Marshall: In spite of the risk involved, however, in letting the Japanese fire the first shot, we realized that in order to have the full support of the American people it was desirable to make sure that the Japanese be the ones to do this so that there should remain no doubt in anybody’s mind as who were the aggressors.

Pearl Harbor

Key Sentence by Arthur Sulzberger

We did not go to war because we were attacked at Pearl Harbor, I hold rather that we were attacked at Pearl Harbor because we had gone to war.

In march 1940, while the American people were being assured by their president that he was trying to stay out of war, he had already decided that entry was inevitable and was proceeding accordingly.

Yesterday, December 7th 1941 a day which will live in infamy, United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forced of the empire of Japan.

Because of War, FDR extended the power of the president to unprecedented extents. Roosevelt accrued to himself the right to determine what his people wanted or were entitled to without the actual consent of the governed.

Meeting with Churchill in Newfoundland without informing the Congress.

War and Presidency

Munition 186 b$

Planes 297000

Tank 86338

Rifle 17.4 million

Vessels 64500

Cargo ships 5000

Naval vessels 6000

Machine guns 2.5

War and the US economy

Churchill: the aim was to restore the old order and the old colonial empire, with as little modification as possible. Installing monarchies in Greece, Belgium and Italy.

Containment of the Soviet Union

Aftermath of the War and different interpretation of the International order

Stalin: Demolition of the old order and the old balance of power and the establishment of a new one in which the Soviet Union had its own sphere of influence.

For Roosevelt: the new era meant a shift from imperialism of the English and the French to a softer imperialism in which the United States was dominant.

Britain and Churchill: Communism was a threat that had to be contained

FDR: The Russians had proved that they could be reasonable and far-seeing . The US president believed that they could live with them and get along with them peacefully .

Later the Soviets came to be looked upon as a threat.

Differences towards Communism