US Diplomacy between 1919 and 1941
Using your textbook, the AMSCO AP US
History review book and the
information in the next few slides,
complete the assignment handout.
US Diplomatic Decisions – 1919 to 1941
Analyze the potential consequences of these decisions in light of
international events during this period in history:
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Nov 1919: US Senate rejected Versailles Treaty and League of Nations
“Return to Normalcy”: 1920-1932
 DIPLOMATIC ISOLATIONISM
 Independent Internationalism
“RED SCARE” – fear of communism and anarchism in US (1919 and 1920)
Immigration Restrictions
 Emergency Quota Act (1921), Immigration Act of 1924
Washington Naval Conferences (1920-1922)
 4 power pact (Imperialism in Asia)
 5 power pact (Navies-5:5:3:1.67:1.67)
 9 power pact (Open Door in China)
The Dawes Plan (1924) – US “bailout” for Germany
Kellogg-Briand Pact – 1928
Fordney-McCumber Tariff (1922) and Hawley-Smoot Tariff (1930)
1931: Japan invaded Manchuria
 Stimson Doctrine: US would not recognize a nation’s acquisition of land by use of
force
1932: Lausanne Conference: Suspended loan repayments and reparations
US Foreign Policy Responses After Hitler’s Rise to Power
Is there a “hidden agenda” of US diplomacy?
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1933: Good Neighbor Policy (Herbert Hoover’s idea…)
 To improve relations damaged by “big stick policy” in Latin America
1933: Diplomatic recognition of the USSR
 Diplomatic relations between the US and USSR begin for the first time.
1933: London Conference
 to stabilize world economies; US decided not to participate
1934: Tydings-McDuffie Act
 Philippines independence by 1946.
1934: Reciprocal Trade Act
 Reduced the US tariff if its international trading partners did the same.
1934-5: The Nye Commission
 Government committee that concluded US involvement in WW 1 was
caused by “war profiteers” (“Merchants of Death”) who traded with
belligerents between 1914 and 1917.
 US would not make the same mistake twice…
US Diplomatic Responses to Global Aggression: 1935-1939
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1935: Italian invasion of Ethiopia:
 Nye Report is issued, 1st NEUTRALITY ACT (arms embargo on belligerents)
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1936: Germany retakes the Rhineland , and Spanish Civil War begins:
 2nd NEUTRALITY ACT (added: no loans to belligerents)
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1937: Japanese invasion of China and “Panay Incident”:
 3rd NEUTRALITY ACT (added: no trade without “cash and carry”)
 QUARANTINE speech (plus: “moral embargo”)
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1938: Austrian “Anschluss”, Rome-Berlin Axis, Anti-Comintern Pact, the
Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia: NO DIPLOMATIC MOVES BY US
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1938: The Ludlow Resolution: a national referendum on declaration of war
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1939: September 1: Germany invaded Poland and the USSR occupied Latvia,
Lithuania, Estonia and Finland AND it’s “part” of Eastern Poland:
 “America First Committee”: strong isolationist “pressure” group
 4th NEUTRALITY ACT (lifted arms embargo on cash and carry basis)
 Pan-American Conference: Declaration of Panama
June 1940 to June 1941:
The War and US ‘Neutrality’ Continue...
►Alien Registration Act (June)
all resident aliens had to be registered with the US Government; had to explain their
political beliefs to US officials.
►Pan-American Conference: Declaration of Havana (July)
“Aggression against one nation in the Western Hemisphere was aggression against all”.
►Selective Service Act (September)
peace-time military draft
►Destroyers for Bases (September)
GB got US naval destroyers, US got use of British naval bases around the world
►Lend-Lease Act (December)
US supplied nations fighting fascism (included USSR)-US became the “arsenal of
democracy”
►The Four Freedoms Speech (January ‘41)
 Freedom of speech/expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from
fear.
►ABC-1 Talks (January-March ‘41)
Secret meetings between FDR and British PM Winston Churchill. Defeating Germany
was the priority if the war became “two theater” war. (“Europe first” or “Get Hitler First”
strategy)
►The ATLANTIC CHARTER (July 1941)
July 1941: The Atlantic Charter
US and GB “secret war aims”
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No territorial gains were to be sought by USA or Britain.
Pledge to liberate AXIS-occupied lands;
“Territorial adjustments must be in accordance with the
wishes of the peoples concerned”;
Trade barriers were to be lowered;
Promote global economic cooperation and advancement of
social welfare;
Freedom from want and fear;
Freedom of the seas;
Disarmament of aggressor nations; postwar common
disarmament.
How can these provisions be enforced?
 Does this look familiar to you?
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