AP Chapter 34
Franklin D. Roosevelt and the
Shadow of War
I. The London Conference
1933-66 nations to gather to fight global
depression
-FDR-focusing on home, declined conference
“Every man for himself”
II. Freedom for (from?) the Filipinos
and Recognition for the Russians
Philippines-America hope to free itself of its
financial costly possession
Tydings-McDuffie Act (1934)-12 years for
freedom
1933-FDR recognizes USSR (counterweight to
Germany and Japan)
III. Becoming a Good Neighbor
Good Neighbor Policy-FDR’s policy to build
friendlier relations with western hemisphere
nations
-marines pulled out of Haiti
-Platt Amendment lifted in Cuba
-US relaxed on Isthmus
-Mexico retained oil against American
corporation protest
IV. Secretary Hull’s Reciprocal Trade
Agreements
-designed to uplift American exports
-Americans would reduce rates up to 50% if other
country was willing to do so
-Attempt to make domestic and international
economies grow
-paved way for American led free trade agreements
after WWII
V. Storm-Cellar Isolationism
USSR-Joseph Stalin-seized control of totalitarian USSR
Benito Mussolini-Italy (invaded Ethiopia)
Adolph Hitler-Germany (Rome-Berlin Axis with Italy)
Japan-brewing Navy in Asia
League of Nations-helpless
US-Johnson Debt Default Act-debt dodging nations could
no longer borrow money
Americans-stay out and focus on own suffering
VI. Congress Legislates Neutrality
Neutrality Acts of 1935, 36 and 37
-if President recognizes foreign wars,
Americans cannot sail on a belligerent ship,
transport munitions to a belligerent or loan
money to a belligerent
-idea that Americans helped cause WWI to
make profits
-actuality-no distinction made and balance
in favor of dictators
VII. American Dooms Loyalist Spain
Spain-fight between Francisco Franco (fascist with
Italy and Germany) v. Loyalist regime
-Abraham Lincoln Brigade-3k Americans who went
to help Loyalist regime
US declared both groups at war-embargoed both
Franco wins and Spain’s democracy dies
VIII. Appeasing Japan and Germany
Japan
-Beijing-all out invasion of China
-FDR-Quarantine Speech-positive
endeavors to quarantine the aggressorseconomic embargos
-Panay-US ship sunk-paid for by Japan
-Japanese humiliated Americans in China
by slappings and strippings
Germany
-building up armed forces
-took back Rhineland
-took back Austria
-took Sudetenland
-took Czechoslovakia
-appeased by democracies
IX. Hitler’s Belligerency and US
Neutrality
Hitler Stalin Pact
-nonaggression pact between Germany and
USSR
-Germany-clear to fight west
-9/1/1939-Poland blitzkrieg-France and
Britain declare war
Neutrality Act of 1939
-cash and carry for Allies to get American
goods
X. The Fall of France
USSR-knocked out Finland
Germany-knocked out Denmark, Norway, Netherlands
and Belgium
-France fell in June 1940
-Britain left alone
Congress-$37 billion to be prepared for war
-1940 conscription-first non wartime draft
XI. Refugees from the Holocaust
Kristallnacht-11/9/38—Germans attacked Jewish shops and
synagogues-91 Jews died and 30k more sent to concentration
camps
St. Louis-ship from Hamburg to Havana to US to Canada and
back to Europe harboring Jewish refugees denied in US
-War Refugees Board-help bring Jews into US after Nazi
genocide began to be verified in 1942
-US Rescued 150k compared to 6 million who died
XII. Bolstering Britain
Britain left alone
-Battle of Britain-Americans heard radio reports
-Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies
-America First Committee
-FDR-transfer 50 WWI ships to England and US gain
8 strategic base sites
XIII. Shattering the Two-Term Tradition
Election of 1940
-(R)-Political newcomer Wendell L. Willkie
- “dictator” Roosevelt although
agreed
-(D) FDR
-ran for 3rd term as lingering war crisis
-won based on experience as there was
possibility of war
XIV. A Landmark Lend-Lease Law
Land Lease Bill
-US provide weapons to nations fighting
dictators and would receive them back at the
end of the war
-passed with Isolationist and anti-Roosevelt
opposition
-$50 billion spent on it during WWII
-Ended American pretense of neutrality
-Robin Moor-unarmed merchant ship-sunk by
Germany
XV. Charting a New World
Hitler attacked Russia on June 22, 1941
US sent $1 billion aid to USSR
Atlantic Charter (FDR and Churchill)
-no territorial changes
-people could choose gov’t
-disarmament and peace of security
-followed Wilson’s points
XVI. US Destroyers and Hitler’s U-boats
Clash
US-sent destroyers to protect merchant ships as
far as Iceland (Britain had to finish the journey)
-U-boats attacked ships and destroyers
-Arm merchant ships in November 1941
XVII. Surprise Assault on Pearl Harbor
US-embargo gasoline and machinery supplies
Japan and Washington relations-Japan needed
them to continue war in China (4 years going)
12/7/1941-bombed Pearl Harbor
-3k personnel harmed
12/11/41-US declares war officially
XVIII. America’s Transformation from
Bystander to Belligerent
Slowly-help Britain and prevent trade with Japan
Events slowly crept up to Pearl Harbor
-Defend democracy than let dictators rule
supreme