Unit 2: The Second World War and the
Americas (1933–1945)
Bullet 3 - Hemispheric reactions to the
events in Europe and Asia: inter-American
diplomacy; cooperation and neutrality;
Franklin D Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor
policy—its application and effects
1
#1 U.S. foreign policy in the 1930s:
the ‘Good Neighbor’ policy
• Roosevelt election in
1933 + majority of
congress members –
Isolationists
– USA ‘moral force’ for
good in the
world/Americas
• Overcoming the
economic crisis in the
US (Great Depression)
was foremost task
President Roosevelt’s inaugural
speech, 4 March 1933
2
Sec. of State Cordell Hull
• Appointed to
carry out the
Good
Neighbor
policy
3
Inter-American Conference at
Montevideo 1933
• USA and all Latin
American states
agreed that no country
had the right to
intervene in the
internal or external
affairs of another
• US troops left Haiti,
the Dominican
Republic, and
Nicaragua
4
Sec. of State Cordell Hull
• Hull’s policies of low tariffs improved
the economies of the Latina
American countries, especially Cuba
(reduction of sugar tariff)
• 1934 Roosevelt passed the
Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act in
1934
• 1936 USA renegotiated the Panama
Canal Treaty
5
Buenos Aires Conference 1936
• Spanish Civil War 1936 – Italy attacks
Abyssinia (Ethiopia) 1935 – Japan attacks
China 1931
6
Buenos Aires Conference 1936
• Nations to consult each other if there was a
hemispheric security threat
– US accepted principle consultation with other
American countries
7
Roosevelt’s foreign Policy
• 1938 Mexico nationalized US-owned oil
companies
– US keeps promise – Montevideo Conference
8
Indirectly supported pro-US
dictatorships
Somoza in Nicaragua
Trujillo in the Dominican Republic
Batista in Cuba
Good Neighbor policy
Improved security
- 1933 Montevideo Conference
- USA and all Latina American states
agreed that no country had the right to
intervene in the internal or external
affairs of another
- 1936 US-Panama Treaty: USA forfeited
the right to participate in Panamanian
politics, giving greater independence to
Panama
- 1936 Buenos Aires conference: called
for all to follow a policy of neutrality in
the event of conflict
- 1936 Lima Conference
Improved trade and general relations
- US troops left Haiti, the Dominican
Republic and Nicaragua
- 1934 Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act
between USA and Latin American
countries
- 1938 Declaration of American Principles
1938, Roosevelt created the Cultural
Division of the State Department for
cultural exchanges
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#2 The USA’s policy of neutrality
• Feeling of WWI being a mistake in the US
during the 1930’s
– A series of Neutrality Acts were passed by
congress – keep US out of a European war
• The Nye Committee
10
The Neutrality Acts - The first
Neutrality Act 1935
– President has power to prohibit US ships from
carrying US-made munitions to countries at war
– Prevent civilians from travelling on ships of those
at war (Lusitania 1915 – 128 civilians killed)
The Ludlow Amendment:
11
The Neutrality Acts - The second
Neutrality Act 1936
• Banned loans and credits to countries at war
12
The Neutrality Acts - The third
Neutrality Act 1937
• Forbade the export of munitions for use by
either of the opposing forces in Spain
13
The Neutrality Acts - The fourth
Neutrality Act 1937
• Determined US president
could determine what
could or could not be
bought, other than
munitions, paid for on
delivery, and made travel
on ships of countries at
war unlawful
Problems with neutrality
14
1937 ‘Quarantine Speech’
• Roosevelt gives a speech sharing the horrors
of war and problems with neutrality,
suggested quarantining without mentioning
specific countries
– Some praise (most did not agree) for his views,
but offered no real action
15
1937 ‘Quarantine Speech’
1939 US recalled its ambassador for Hitler
breaking the Munich Agreement (seizing parts
of Czech
• Roosevelt attempts to negotiate terms with
Germany and Italy for non-aggression
– Proposals rejected
16
The fifth Neutrality Act 1939
• President could authorize
‘cash & carry’ export of
arms and munitions
• US Navy to patrol western
Atlantic – reveal U-boats
positions to British
• Reduction of US armed
forces
USA's policy of
neutrality
- 1934: Nye Committee - questioned US
motivates for involvement in WWI
- 1935: Ludlow Amendment - sought to have
a referendum to determine any US
involvement in a war
- 1937: Sino-Japanese War - Roosevelt
extended commercial credits worth $25
million to China
1939: Roosevelt censured Hitler's actions
and in Oct established the Hemisphere
Neutrality Belt (300 miles out into the
Atlantic) to insulate USA from the European
conflict
- Late 1930's: Roosevelt increased defense
spending
- 1935:
first Neutrality Act - US president given
power to prohibit US ships from carrying USmade munitions to countries at war
- 1936: second Neutrality Act - banned loans or
credits to countries at war
- 1937: third neutrality Act - warring nations
allowed to buy goods other than munitions from
the USA provided they paid cash and used their
own ships (cash and carry)
- 1937: fourth Neutrality Act - US president to
decide what could be bought and made travel
on ships of countries at war unlawful
- 1939: fifth Neutrality Act: US president could
authorize 'cash and carry' export of arms and
munitions to countries at war, but they had to be
transported in the countries' own ship
17
#3 The USA and Japan in the 1930’s
• Deteriorated relationship during the 19201930’s
– Paris Peace Conference – felt treated as inferiors
• The Immigration Act 1924
– Prevented Asian immigration to the US (Japanese
Exclusion Act)
• Economic Rivalry
18
#3 The USA and Japan in the 1930’s
• After Japan invaded
more of China,
Roosevelt called for
Americans to boycott
Japanese silk
– No trade sanctions
• 1937 Japan sank the
USS Panay (patrolling
China to protect US
lives and property)
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#4 The US response to the European
war 1939-40
• Committee to Defend America (CDA) – created
May 1940
20
#4 The US response to the European
war 1939-40
• America First Committee (AFC) – Not football
– Set up in September 1940 & opposed CDA
21
#4 The US response to the European
war 1939-40
• US reaction to German successes in Europe 1940
– Following surrender of France
• Feared Hitler would take over French Caribbean
• Roosevelt quickly organized a Pan-American
Conference in Cuba
22
#4 The US response to the European
war 1939-40
• US aid to the UK
– Post Dunkirk evacuation June 1940
– Roosevelt ordered USA to send war material to
assist UK
• Circumvented the Neutrality Act by stating it was
surplus supplies
– Winston Churchill Requested 40-50 naval
destroyers
23
#4 The US response to the European
war 1939-40
• 1941 Defense Spending
– $173 million to $669 million
24
#4 The US response to the European
war 1939-40
• September 1939: Roosevelt’s fireside chat – the USA would not get
involved
• May 1940: Committee to Defend American was set up. This supported
Roosevelt in wanting to help the UK
• 1940: by the Havana Act, American republics would take over and
administer any European possession in the New World which faced
aggression
• August 1940: USA and Canada agreed to set up a Joint Board of Defense to
co-ordinate US and Canadian defense
• September 1940: America First Committee was set up. It opposed US
involvement in any war
• September 1940 ‘Destroyers for bases’ deal between USA and UK
• USA and UK agreed to establish a policy of sharing technical knowledge for
weapons production
• November 1940 USA introduced peacetime conscription
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#5 The 1940 presidential election
• Due to growing world crisis,
Roosevelt decides to run for a 3rd
term
– (Ignoring informal rule set forth by G.
Washington, 2 terms)
• Campaigned on neutrality and
isolationist policies
– Roosevelt was against an US
involvement in the conflict in Europe
• Roosevelt won
26
#5 The 1940 presidential election
• 1940 presidential election
• Consequences for the USA and its involvement
– March 1941: Lend-Lease offered to UK
– June 1941: Land-lease offered to USSR
– July: US troops occupied Iceland
– August 1941: Roosevelt signed the Atlantic
Charter that set down the principles to guide a
post-war settlement
27
#6 The US Navy
• Early 1941: U-boats causing 400,000 tons of
supply losses to UK merchants
• US began to support UK ships more regularly
• Robin Moor incident
28
#6 The US Navy
• Shoot on sight policy
– U-boat in Sept 1941 attacked US destroyer Greer