Diplomacy and World War II, 1929-1945
The United States moved from disengagement to neutrality and then from
neutrality to total involvement in world affairs.
Herbert Hoover’s Foreign Policy
Isolationism
Japanese aggression in Manchuria
League of Nations
Latin America – Nicaragua, Haiti
Franklin Roosevelt’s Policies, 1933-1938
Economic issues took precedence over foreign policy, though FDR did
extend Hoover’s efforts at improving relations with Latin America.
Non-intervention
Good-Neighbor Policy
Pan-American Conferences
Cuba
Mexico
Economic Diplomacy - Helping the U.S. economy was the chief
motivation for FDR’s policies toward other foreign policy issues in his first
term.
Recognition of the Soviet Union
Philippines
Tariffs
Events Abroad: Fascism & Aggressive Militarism - The worldwide
depression soon proved to have alarming repercussions for world politics.
Combined with nationalist resentments after WWI, economic hardships
gave rise to military dictatorships in Italy in the 1920s and Japan and
Germany in the 1930s.
Fascism
Italy
Germany
Japan
American Isolationists - The U.S. was also nationalistic, but expressed
itself in an opposite way as isolationists sought to avoid being drawn into a
foreign war at all costs.
Nye Committee
Neutrality Acts
America First Committee
Prelude to War - In the years 1935 to 1938, a series of aggressive actions
by the Fascist dictatorships made the democratic governments in Britain
and France extremely nervous. Hoping to avoid open conflict with
Germany, the democracies adopted a policy of appeasement. The U.S. went
along with this policy.
Appeasement
Ethiopia, 1935
Rhineland, 1936
China, 1937
Sudetenland, 1938
U.S. Response
Quarantine speech
Preparedness
From Neutrality to War, 1939-1941
In March 1939, Hitler broke the Munich agreement. After this, it became
clear that war was probably unavoidable.
Outbreak of War in Europe
Non-aggression Pact
Invasion of Poland
Blitzkrieg
Changing U.S. Policy – While Americans were alarmed and opposed to
Hitler, most still hoped to keep out of the war. FDR, however, believed that
British survival was crucial to U.S. security, and therefore attempted to chip
away at restrictive neutrality laws.
“Cash and Carry”
Selective Service Act
Destroyers-for-bases Deal
The Election of 1940
FDR
Wendell Willkie
Results
Arsenal of Democracy – After his reelection, FDR believed he was in a
stronger position to end the appearance of U.S. neutrality.
Four Freedoms
Lend-Lease Act
Atlantic Charter
Shoot-on-sight
Disputes with Japan – Japan’s invasion of China and ambitions in
Southeast Asia increasingly strained the relationship with the U.S.
Axis Powers
U.S. economic action
Negotiations
Pearl Harbor
Partial surprise
Declaration of war
World War II: The Home Front
Industrial Production
Cost-plus system
Results
Wages, prices, and rationing
Unions
Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act
Financing
The War’s Impact on Society
Midwest-Pacific Coast/South
African Americans
1.5/1
NAACP
C.O.R.E.
Mexican Americans
300K
Native Americans
25K
Japanese Americans
20K/100K
Korematsu v. U.S.
Women
200K
Propaganda
The Election of 1944
FDR
World War II: The Battlefronts
The fighting of WWII was waged on two fronts. In the Pacific, Japanese
forces in 1942 reached the height of their power while in Europe much of
the fighting in the first year was between the Germans and the Soviets.
Fighting Germany
Battle of the Atlantic
Radar
Sonar
Operation Torch
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Italy
D-Day
Battle of the Bulge
Surrender
Holocaust
Fighting Japan
Battle of Coral Sea
Battle of Midway
Island-hopping
Leyte Gulf
Kamikaze
Battle of Okinawa
Atomic bombs
Manhattan Project
Robert Oppenheimer
Hiroshima
Nagasaki
Surrender
Wartime Conferences
Yalta
Death of FDR
Potsdam
The War’s Legacy
Costs
300K
United Nations
Expectations
800K
$320B
$250B