WWII: America Enters the War

WWII: America Enters the War

NeutralityPresident Franklin D. Roosevelt declared U.S. neutral two days after France and Britain declared war on GermanyOfficial position at the beginning of WWII: NeutralityU.S. supported Britain and FranceNeutrality laws banned the sale of weapons to nations at war (Germany, France, Britain)

Destroyers-for-Bases DealBritish Prime Minister Winston Churchill asked FDR for American destroyers (battleships)Britain had lost of its own destroyers by 1940Britain needed destroyers to: Protect cargo ships from German U-BoatsProtect Great Britain from German invasionFDR trades 50 U.S. destroyers for the right to build military bases on British-controlled landNewfoundlandBermudaCaribbean Islands

American IsolationismIsolationism- policy to avoid participation in foreign affairs (European wars)Debate:IsolationStay out of war in EuropeInterventionEnter WarHelp AlliesProtect DemocracyFight Dictators

FDR Defends the Four FreedomsFour Freedoms U.S. and Britain stood for:Freedom of SpeechFreedom of WorshipFreedom from WantFreedom from Fear

Lend-Lease ActAllowed U.S. to lend or lease arms to any country considered vital to the defense of the United StatesAllowed FDR to send weapons to Britain if Britain returned them, or paid the U.S. back after the warFDR feared the fall of BritainGermany, Japan, and Italy would conquer the worldU.S. should be the great arsenal of democracyKeep the British fighting so U.S. doesnt have toAmerica sent $40 billion in weapons, vehicles, and supplies to Britain

Nazi-Soviet PactHitler violates the Nazi-Soviet PactGermany invades USSRAmerican Lend-Lease Act sends aid to USSRBritain vows to aid any country willing to fight against Nazism

Hemispheric Defense ZoneBritish Navy did not have enough ships to stop German U-Boats from patrolling the Atlantic OceanHemispheric Defense ZoneWestern half of the Atlantic Ocean was part of the Western Hemisphere = NeutralU.S. Navy patrolled the western AtlanticReported U-Boat positions to British

Atlantic CharterAgreement between America and Britain to post-war relationshipDemocracyNon-aggressionFree TradeEconomic AdvancementFreedom of the Seas15 anti-Axis (Germany, Italy) nations signed Atlantic CharterFDR pledged to force an incident which would justify him opening hostilitiesU-Boats and American destroyers face-off in the AtlanticShoot-on-sight policy

Embargoes on JapanBritain needed all ships in EuropeLeft India and other British colonies in Asia unprotectedFDR helps Britain by hindering Japanese ability to seize British coloniesFDR applies economic pressure to Japan1940 FDR restricts the sale of strategic materials (materials important for fighting a war) to JapanScrap IronSteelOilAirplane fuelJapan signs alliance with Germany and Italy

Embargoes on Japan1941, FDR sends Lend-Lease aid to Japanese-occupied ChinaWanted China to keep Japan from gaining territory in AsiaFailedJapan invaded IndochinaThreatened British coloniesFDR response to Japanese aggression in AsiaJapanese assets in U.S. frozenReduce oil shipments to JapanSends General MacArthur to Philippines to build-up U.S. military presence

Embargoes on JapanJapan responds to U.S. military build-up in the Philippines and oil embargoPlanned to attack:British ColoniesDutch ColoniesThe PhilippinesAmerican fleet at Pearl Harbor