CH. 23-3 THE UNITED STATES ENTERS THE

WARAMERICAN HISTORY

Americans questioned what the Allies’ costly victory in WWI actually achieved

The US Senate was unwilling to approve the USA joining the League of Nations

Many feared the League would drag the USA into future wars

Isolationists were not necessarily PACIFISTS (people that don’t believe in using military force)

President Roosevelt was not an isolationist

AMERICAN ISOLATIONISM

Roosevelt easily defeated isolationist Herbert Hoover in 1932

The USA established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union in 1933

Roosevelt concentrated on New Deal programs

Congress pass the Neutrality Act of 1935 Congress strengthened the Act by outlawing

making loans to warring countries

Roosevelt disturbed by Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia

Arms sales to Italy and Ethiopia were halted USA was trying to remain NEUTRAL Personally, Roosevelt didn’t want to be

neutral After Japan invaded China in 1937 Roosevelt

spoke out in a speech in Chicago “…the security of 90% of the world is being

jeopardized by the other 10%...”

BALANCING ISOLATIONISM AND INTERVENTION

Roosevelt compared the spread of war to a contagious disease

He urged the USA to work with peace-loving countries to quarantine aggressive nations

Early 1939—Roosevelt asked Congress for more money for new naval vessels

Hitler’s aggressive actions helped Roosevelt’s position on neutrality

After Germany invaded Poland, Roosevelt got Congress to change the neutrality laws

New policy established—CASH & CARRY—countries at war were allowed to purchase American goods as long as they paid cash and picked up their orders in American ports

PREPARING FOR WAR

Roosevelt trade 50 aging American warships for 8 British military bases

THE ELECTION OF 1940 Roosevelt decides to seek a 3rd term as

President His opponent was Wendell Wilke Roosevelt wins Roosevelt continues to aid Allies in their

fight against Hitler

In December 1940 speech Roosevelt says the USA should be the “arsenal of democracy”.

Congress passed the LEND-LEASE ACT Send weapons to Great Britain regardless of

their ability to pay August 1941—Roosevelt and Churchill meet

secretly on a ship off the coast of Canada The leaders agree to the ATLANTIC

CHARTER Proclaimed the shared goals of USA & GB in

opposing Hitler and his allies

USA was looking more and more like a nation at war

German U-boats tried to stop American ships delivering supplies to GB under the Lend-Lease Act

October 1941—torpedoes struck the USS Kearny & 11 sailors were killed

Two weeks later a U-boat sank the USS Reuben James killing more than 100

Many Americans still opposed entry into the war

Late Fall 1941—American leaders thought war with Japan was likely

How and where would the fighting start? American officials were determined not to fire the

first shot American forces throughout the world warned

about possible Japanese attack

THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR Japanese military leaders had be creating a plan for

a surprise attack on American naval bases at Pearl Harbor, HI

JAPAN ATTACKS PEARL HARBOR

Japanese aircraft carriers would approach Oahu from the north

Aircraft loaded with bombs and torpedoes would destroy as many ships and planes as possible

American forces were unready to defend Pearl Harbor

Routine steps such as airplane’s watching for an approaching attack didn’t happen

Japanese forces approached undetected

December 7, 1941—Japanese strike force went into action

The raid was a complete surprise Most American planes never got off the

ground Japanese bombs took a heavy toll on

Americans ships anchored in the harbor The attack lasted barely two hours The US Pacific fleet was a tangled mess of

smoking metal (diagram p. 756)

The destruction was enormous All eight battleships in the harbor suffered

damage Four were sunk Nearly 200 aircraft were completely

destroyed and more were damaged Nearly 2,400 Americans were dead Japan lost only a handful of submarines and

fewer than 30 aircraft It was a complete defeat for the USA

AMERICAN REACTION Americans reacted with anger and fear Rumors spread that Japanese forces would

soon reach the west coast Californians reported seeing submarines Beaches were strung with barbed wire People became afraid that Japanese

Americans were secretly assisting with an invasion of America

President Roosevelt expected a Japanese strike but he also expected a formal declaration of war from Japan

Japanese Ambassadors has scheduled an appointment to deliver the war message but the Pearl Harbor attack occurred before the message was delivered

Roosevelt was furious that Japan had deceived the USA

December 8, 1941—Roosevelt asks for a declaration of war from Congress:

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan…Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this…the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory”

America was now at war with Japan Three days later Germany and Italy

declared war on the USA The nation entered WWII as a member of

the Allies

THE END