Ch 34 PPT: FDR and WWII
1933 London Economic Conference
 Tried to address world economic issues.
 66 Nations met to revive international
trade, stabilize each nation’s currencies and
exchange rates.
 "torpedoed" by Pres Roosevelt: he
denounced currency stabilization.
 Sent Sec of State Hull, but then withdrew
America’s participation.
 Why? Wanted to continue inflationary
policies, (“managed currency” of gold) and
stabilizing national currencies might hurt
America’s economic recovery plan.
 Conference broke up: caused movement
toward extreme nationalism; difficulty in
nations to cooperate.
Freedom for Filipinos/Recognition of
Russia
 1934 Tydings-McDuffie Act: gave
Philippines independence in 1946.
 1933: U.S. formally recognized USSR - to
try to open up trade – anti-communists and
Roman Catholics disagreed.
Good Neighbor Policy
 Goal: have good relations with Latin Am.
by renouncing military intervention. (Use other
methods).
 Give up Corollary of the Monroe Doctrine.
In 7th Pan-American Conference - U.S.
endorsed nonintervention.
 Why? Get Latin American countries on
U.S. side; help defend Western hemisphere
against dictators.
 U.S. Marines leave Haiti,1934.
Secretary Hull’s Reciprocal Trade Agreements
 Secretary Hull wanted low-tariffs (reminder:
 wanted high tariffs) Why? He believed
lowering tariffs would cause nations to lower
their tariffs and so help trade between nations.
 1934 Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act:
Negotiation of tariff agreements, with Pres.
power, between the U.S. and separate
nations, particularly Latin American countries.
 Result: U.S. foreign trade increased and
later resulted in the U.S. led free-trade
international economic system.
Tmwk 34
1. pg 804 What is Benito Mussolini's viewpoint
in his quote? (Include topic and his opinion)
2. Pg 805 Cartoon: What is the cartoon
depicting and is it for or against something?
(topic, time period, key ppl, location and add OI)
3. Pg 807 What is the cartoon depicting?
(topic, time period, key ppl, location and add OI)
Dictators and Totalitarianism
 Threat of dictators and totalitarianism
arises – Communist USSR led by Joseph
Stalin, Benito Mussolini in Italy, Adolf Hitler in
Germany
 Germany especially was resentful about
taking blame for WWI, disarmament, war
payments ($33 billion), loss of land.
Congress Legislates Neutrality
 Neutrality Acts 1935, 1936, 1937: When
Pres declared existence of a foreign war,
restriction of the seas would go into effect - to
keep U.S. out of WWII:
– No American could sail on a belligerent ship
during war; (declared that American citizens
traveling on warring ships traveled at their
own risk)
– No American could sell or transport
munitions to belligerent nations, nor make
loans.
– These acts abandoned the policy of
freedom of the seas.
America Dooms Loyalist Spain
 Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939: Fascist
General Francisco Franco sought to
overthrow Loyalist govt in Spain. General
Franco backed by Hitler and Mussolini.
 To continue neutrality, U.S. forbid arms
trade with Spain (made arms embargo against
both Loyalists and rebels.)
 General Franco becomes dictator of Spain
TMWK:
4. Pg 810 Quote: What is Hitler's viewpoint?
(topic, time period, key people, location and Add
OI)
Appeasing Japan and Germany
 1937 Japan invaded China
 FDR gives “Quarantine speech” due to
aggression of Japan and Italy, calling for an
international "quarantine of the aggressor
nations" using economic embargoes.
 Outcry led FDR to withdraw this idea.
The Combatants
Big Three leaders: Churchill, Stalin, FDR
Allies: Britain, France, USSR, China, US
Axis Powers: Germany, Japan, Italy
Hitler’s aggression:
- 1936: Marches into Rhineland area
- 1938: occupied Austria – his birthplace
- Sept. 1938: Munich Conference: allowed
Hitler to take Sudetenland (part of
Czechoslovakia) – European democracies
appease Hitler.
- 1939: seizes rest of Czechoslovakia
What agreement was
made between
and
so that
wouldn't have to fight
a two-front war? A:
Hitler’s Agression and U.S. Neutrality
 Aug 1939 - USSR signs Non-aggression
Pact with Germany – Hitler didn’t want to fight
two-front war.
 Gave Hitler a way to attack Poland on
Sept. 1, 1939: WWII Begins! -without fear of
USSR
 U.S. declares neutrality- 1939 Neutrality
Act: European democracies may buy
American war supplies, but only by “cash and
carry”: Pres allows sale of war materials to
European democracies, but must transport
them on their own ships and pay immediately
in cash.
 This helps U.S. to avoid loans, war debts, `
 But, it hurts China, who was blockaded by
Imperial Japanese Navy.
 Selling war supplies to European
democracies helped bring U.S. out of Great
Depression.
TMWK
5. Pg 812 What was significant after France
fell under Germany control in June 1940?
6. Pg 813 What is the cartoon depicting? Is it
for or against something? (topic, location, add
OI.)
Fall of France
 June 1940: France’s fall to Germany ended
U.S. neutrality.
 FDR called for building of airfleets and twoocean navy – Congress gave $37 billion.
 Congress passed conscription law for the
1st peacetime draft.
 With Poland, Netherlands, Denmark and
France all under Germany control: 1940
Havana Conference called: U.S. along with 20
nations agreed to uphold Monroe Doctrine to
keep Hitler out of Western Hemisphere.
1940 Bolstering Britain: the Destroyer Deal
 Hitler launched air attacks against Britain in
Summer 1940 - Battle of Britain.
 Two Camps: some supported aid to
Britain, formed propaganda groups –
Committee to Defend America by Aiding the
Allies: Give Britain “all aid short of war.”
 Isolationists formed the America First
Committee, led by Charles Lindbergh –
determined to avoid American bloodshed.
 Sept 1940: FDR struck deal with Britain
giving them 50 old destroyers. In return,
Britain promised to give U.S. 8 naval bases in
the western hemisphere. (this violated
neutrality)
TMWK
7. Pg 815 Give 3 details about the presidential
election of 1940.
FDR Runs for 3rd Term
 Republican candidate Thomas Willkie –
lawyer who didn't have political experience:
ridiculed FDR for being a dictator
 Democrat candidate FDR – running for
unprecedented 3rd term. Why? Felt his
leadership and experience needed during the
war crisis.
 Both promised to stay out of war and
strengthen nation’s defenses.
TMWK
8. Pg 816 Map: Give a detailed description of
the Lend-Lease Act.
9. Pg 816 Top picture: Who was particularly
against the Lend-Lease Act and why?
March 1941: Congress Passes Lend-Lease
Law = Economic Declaration of War
 Lend-Lease Program: U.S. to supply
Britain, Soviet Union, China, France and other
Allied nations with materials ($50.1 billion in
supplies) from 1941-1945.
 Britain in return gave U.S. military bases in
Newfoundland, Bermuda, and British West
Indies.
 “An act to further promote the defense of
the U.S.” “send guns, not sons.” “Billions
not bodies”
 Allies were to return used weapons when
war ended. “Who wants a chewed up tank?”
 Caused U.S. factories to produce for all-out
war production; helped get U.S. out of GD.
 Hitler saw this as undeclared war – begins
to torpedo American ships.
TMWK
10. Pg 818 What is the cartoon depicting? Is it
for or against something? (topic, period in
history, location, add OI.)
Hitler’s Attack on USSR Spawns the
Atlantic Charter
 U.S. started Lend-Lease: March 1941. $11
billion to USSR
 June 1941: Germany attacks USSR wanted to take their oil and other resources.
 Aug 1941 Atlantic Conference - Winston
Churchill and FDR met on a warship: Made an
Eight-Point Atlantic Charter outlining war’s
end:
1. No territorial changes 2. People have right
to choose own govt (self-determination),
3.Regain govts abolished by dictators,
4. Disarmament, 5. permanent organization
for security.
U.S. Destroyers and Hitler’s U-Boats Clash
 Lend-Lease shipments now attacked by
German U-Boats – freighters would need
escorts by warships.
 U.S. navy to escort shipments to Iceland,
then Britain would lead them rest of the way.
 U.S. Destroyer Greer attacked by U-Boat –
FDR proclaimed “shoot-on-sight” policy.
 U.S. Destroyer Rueben James: torpedoed
and destroyed – over 100 casualties.
 Congress now declares that merchant
ships could legally arm and enter combat
zones with arms for Britain.
Surprise Assault on Pearl
Harbor
 Japan needed steel,
scrap iron, and oil from U.S.
 Late 1940: U.S. imposed embargo on
supplies to Japan
 Mid 1941: froze Japanese assets and
stopped all shipments of gas.
 State Dept. required Japan to leave China then U.S. would start trading again with
Japan, but Japan didn't leave China.
 Dec 7, 1941: Japan attacked Pearl Harbor
on “Black Sunday” “A day which will live in
infamy.” 3,000 casualties.
 U.S. was expecting an attack, but thought it
would be in Pacific area – Malaysia or
Philippines.
 Aircraft destroyed, battleship fleet (8) sunk
or immobilized. Luckily, 3 aircraft carriers were
outside the harbor.
 U.S. Declares War on Japan Dec. 8,
1941! (on Germany Dec 11)
Japan
 Japan able to expand control from border
of India in the West and New Guinea in the
South within 6 months.
 1933: Japan withdrew from League of
Nations; criticized for actions against China.
 July 1937: 2nd Sino-Japanese War Became full scale war by Kwantung army acted independently from a moderate govt.
Japanese succeeded in occupying almost
whole coast of China, committing severe war
atrocities on Chinese population, especially in
capital, Nanking. Chinese govt never
surrendered completely.
 1940: Japan occupied French Indochina
(Vietnam) upon agreement with French Vichy
govt, and joined Axis powers of Germany and
Italy. These actions intensified Japan's conflict
with the U.S. and Great Britain which reacted
with an oil boycott. Oil shortage made Japan
decide to capture Dutch East Indies for oil
(Indonesia) and to start war with US and
Great Britain.
The turning point in the Pacific War was the battle of Midway in June 1942. From then on, the Allied forces slowly won back the
territories occupied by Japan. In 1944, intensive air raids started over Japan. In spring 1945, US forces invaded Okinawa in one of
the war's bloodiest battles.
On July 27, 1945, the Allied powers requested Japan in the Potsdam Declaration to surrender unconditionally, or destruction
would continue. However, the military did not consider surrendering under such terms, partially even after US military forces
dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, and the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan
on August 8.
On August 14, however, Emperor Showa finally decided to surrender unconditionally.