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Group 1A
DBQ: Pre-WWII Foreign Policy
Prompt: How and for what reasons did United States foreign policy change between 1920 and 1941?
Use the documents and your knowledge of the period 1920-1941 to construct your response.
WWI officially ended with the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. For punishment of starting the
war, Article 231 of the treaty, also known as the War Guilt Clause, deemed Germany responsible
for instigating the war and demanded it to pay back all damages. As a result of its devastated
economy due to debt, Hitler emerged as dictator and began to attack neighboring countries in
1933, clearly going against the Treaty of Versailles. Yet, European nations chose to turn a blindeye toward the situation, and most Americans chose to stay isolated in fear of another world war.
Yet, as the US began to see the dire consequences of appeasement and indirect financial
involvement in the war, the US shifted from an isolationist attitude to one that supported full
intervention which in part reflected the need to overcome the deflating 1930s economy.
In the decades following the Treaty of Versailles and throughout the 1920s, America
chose to stay secluded in the Western Hemisphere in order to focus on domestic issues instead of
expanding its increasing world power. There was strong opposition against the Treaty of
Versailles, since it would create interdependence during times of military crisis. Warren Harding
even went as far to say that the League of Nations, previously proposed by Woodrow Wilson,
would be a “deadly blow at our constitutional integrity” (Document A). Opposition was seen
when congress refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles. America wished to stay secluded in the
western hemisphere and successfully built up its economy as seen in the high consumerism and
materialistic that characterized the booming 1920s market. In 1921, secretary of state, Charles
Evans Hughes, even called for the immediate limitation of armament production (Document B).
By cutting national defense spending, the government would be able to allocate funds to support
more domestic issues such as the economy. Other senators such as Henry Cabot Lodge showed
also strong opposition. There was a strong sense of isolationism during the Roaring 20s. This
economy would not last, however, and as the economy began to decline due to overexpansion of
credit and Europe’s high reliance on US investments because of war debt, Americans began to
question the practicality of isolationism.
During the early 1930s, as Hitler began attacking neighboring countries, France and
Britain turned to a policy of appeasement. For instance, in 1938 France and Britain gave the
Sudetenland to Hitler without first consulting Czechoslovakians who lived in the area. It was
first believed that Hitler could be satisfied and would not continue his attacks. In America, many
convinced that they could avoid conflict through the policy of appeasement (Document G). With
what seemed like a stage of denial, Americans refused to believe that Germany was going to
truly follow through with its conquest. Yet, the policy of appeasement failed and it was not until
September 1939 when Germany invaded Poland that France and Britain determined military
retaliation was necessary. The US was beginning to realize Germany would not be satisfied by
“petty” negotiations and more Americans began shifting from an isolationist attitude one that
supported intervention.
As tension grew, many Americans questioning whether American would be swept up,
unprepared, into the war without a powerful military. The 1940 elections showed that both the
Republicans and Democrats supported building up strong the navy and air forces as means of
upholding the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, which stated that any European colonization of North or
South America would be considered an act of aggression (Document E). Although neither
American party was in full favor of the involvement in the war at this time, both advocated
military defense so that America would not be completely helpless in a potential international
conflict. The build-up of the military for defensive shows how the US slowly moved away from
an isolationistic approach to foreign affairs. Roosevelt also contributed to pulling America out
of isolationism by consenting to the 1940 Destroyer Deal, which promised to give Great Britain
50 destroyer vessels in exchange for British bases in North America. This, however, was done
without permission from Congress (Source F). It showed America’s shifting perspective on the
war. Although America was not officially in the war, its actions seemed to indicate an indirect
retaliation against the Axis powers by militarily supporting the Allies. Not only was the United
States building up its defense to be better prepared in case it did have to go to war, but, in
addition to other policies that provided aid to Allies, such as the 1939 Cash and Carry Policy and
the 1941 Lend-Lease Act, it was supporting the Allies.
The need to forcibly put down the Axis powers became more apparent, and the final
action that led to US entrance into WWII came as a result of the Bombing of Pearl. Prior to this
event, America was still divided over whether or not to participate. Even as the Rape of Nanking,
one of the most infamous war crimes committed by the Japanese, became known to the public,
Americans were reluctant to intervene in foreign affairs (Document D). After the United States
placed an oil embargo on Japan for invading Manchuria, the desperate Japanese shocked the
nation by bombing Pearl Harbor on the “day that will live in infamy” on December 7, 1941. This
was the final act that instigated the American entrance into the war on December 8, 1941.
Although previous incidents could be considered negligible, the bombing of Pearl Harbor
directly affected the Americans and created a full consensus to intervene in the war. However,
this decision was seemed inevitable; America was already so economically and politically
influential in the world stage that America would have to get involved in this global crisis sooner
or later (Document C). The great economic and political influence America had, accompanied
by the growing financial support to Allies hinted towards support for the more democratic
countries, but after the aggressive Japanese attack, America was finally unified and
internationally proclaimed its decision to abandon isolationism for full intervention.
Although there was practically full consensus to participate in the war after Pearl Harbor,
many still believed the consequences would outweigh the benefits that would come at the end of
WWI. Following WWI, one of the deadliest conflicts in history, American casualties amounted
to more than 300,000. However, there was a positive effect that came immediately after
Congress declared war in 1941. Domestically, the war economy that emerged as a result of
America’s entrance into the war provided a way to re-stimulate the economy. By participating in
total war, the renewed activity in industry and the growing job opportunities for both women and
African Americans led to a solution that would carry America out of Hoover’s 1930s Great
Depression.
America’s change from an isolationist position following the end of WWI to
progressively one that favored intervention, as seen in the military buildup and financial support
for Allied forces, reflected a change in policy between the decades of 1920 to 1941. As a result
of Pearl Harbor and American entrance into the war, the demand for military supplies led to a
regrowth in industry that consequently pulled America out of the Great Depression and into an
era of increased foreign entanglements.
Group 1 DBQ Chart
Jessica Lee, Shirley Zeng, Justin Hong, Dhiraj Banda, & Sonam Shah
Prompt: How and for what reasons did United States foreign policy change between 1920
and 1941? Use the documents and your knowledge of the period 1920-1941 to construct
your response.
Document
A
(Isolationism)
B
(Isolationism)
C
(Intervention)
D
(Intervention)
Description
A- Warren G. Harding
P- Des Moines, Iowa; October 1920
P- League of Nations, Woodrow Wilson, 14 points
A- Americans
R- To acknowledge America’s firm stance on isolationism
T- Harding is against the League because he believes it threatens America’s
independence and ability to make its own decisions
S- America did not want to engage in foreign affairs following the WWI
A- Charles Evans Hughes (secretary of state)
P- Washington, D.C.; November 12, 1921
P- isolationism, League of Nations, John Cabot Lodge
A- Americans
R- Calls for the immediate limitation to the production of armaments
T- By adopting a stance of isolationism and therefore cutting spending on
national defense, more money can be used to “relieve humanity”
S- By cutting national defense spending, the government could allocate more
spending to domestic issues
A- Edwin L. James
P- America; October 1930
P- World Court, international bank, isolationism
A- Americans
R- to inform the public that the government is very politically and economically
influential although it says it wants to stay out of foreign affairs
T- Government says it still takes an isolationist stance but financially it seems
that the US is very intertwined in foreign affairs.
S- shows immense US involvement in foreign economics
A- F. Tilman Durdin
P- Article published in America; December 18, 1937
Rape was in Nanking, China; 1937
P- Rape of Nanking
A- America
R- Informs Americans of the violent acts the Japanese are committing
T- The Japanese Army raped women, looted, murdered civilians, executed war
prisoners, and impressed men in Nanking.
S- ?? Portrayed Japanese in a negative light and therefore placed the perception of
Japanese being an unnecessarily violent aggressor into Americans’ minds.
E
(Military
Buildup and
Growing
Tension)
A- Republicans
P- America; June, 1940
P- Wendell Willkie, WWI, Roosevelt, New Deal, Monroe Doctrine, Washington
Farewell Address
A- American voters
R- State that the Republicans are against entering WWII
T- The Democratic party is at fault for the country’s involvement and
unpreparedness in the war
S- There was still much division within America over whether or not to engage in
the war or not.
AND
F
(Military
Buildup and
Growing
Tension)
G
(Military
Buildup and
Growing
Tension)
A- Democrats
P- America; July 1940
P- Roosevelt, Monroe Doctrine, isolationism
A- American voters
R- State that the Democrats do not want the war to come to America
T- America needs to build up air force and navy in order to prevent European
power to come into the western hemisphere.
S- shows increased military buildup prior to America’s entrance into the war
A- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
P- America; September 1940
P- Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler, Phony War, Destroyer Deal
A- Americans
R- Persuade people to believe that Roosevelt has overstepped his executive power
T- Roosevelt’s action of helping Great Britain may lead to the deaths of millions
of Americans. His decision to form this alliance without the consent of
Americans is comparable to the acts of the European dictators.
S- increased American involvement in the war by providing military support to
Great Britain
S- poking fun at how the American government thinks it can avoid entrance in the
war and the policy of appeasement by the Allies
A- Americans against the war
F- Uncle Sam
E- signs that criticize the government, appeasement, and isolationist policies
DBQ SFI List
Prompt: How and for what reasons did United States foreign policy change between 1920 and
1941?
1. League of Nations
2. WWI
3. 14 points
4. Isolationism
5. Totalitarianism
6. Appeasement
7. Pearl Harbor
8. Kellogg-Briand Act
9. Nye Committee Hearings
10. Stimson Doctrine
11. Dawes Plan
12. Smoot-Hawley Tariff
13. Good Neighbor Policy
14. Franklin D. Roosevelt
15. Winston Churchill
16. Hideki Tojo
17. Adolf Hitler
18. Neutrality Acts of 1935,1936, 1937, and 1939
19. Selective Training and Service Act
20. America First Committee
21. Treaty of Versailles
22. Pearl Harbor
23. London Conference (US did not send delegates)
24. Havana Conference
25. Reciprocal Trade Agreements
26. World War II
27. Lend-Lease Bill
28. American Relief Administration
29. Cash & Carry
30. War in Asia
31. Munich Conference
32. French Defeat/Phony Wars
33. Sinking of the Greer, Kearny, and Reuben James
34. Atlantic Charter
35. Quarantine Speech
36. Panay Incident
37. Japanese Internment Camps
iMovie Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8VmsSrLEyU&feature=youtu.be
Group 1 DBQ Outline
Jessica Lee, Shirley Zeng, Justin Hong, Dhiraj Banda, & Sonam Shah
Prompt: How and for what reason did United States foreign policy change between 1920
and 1941? Use the documents and your knowledge of the period 1920-1941 to construct
your response.
Isolationism
Military Buildup and Growing Intervention
Tension
A
G
D
B
E
C
F
I.
Introduction
 Treaty of Versailles ended WWI
 Article 231 (War Guilt Clause)- Germany had to pay back damages during the war
 Cause and effect: Treaty of Versailles Germany’s economy is devastated Hitler
emerges as dictator
 Germany violated treaty by attacking other countries
 The US was a world power but instead of taking advantage of this opportunity, they
chose to isolate themselves from further foreign intervention
 US feared entering into another world war
 Thesis: As the US began to see the dire consequences of appeasement and indirect
financial involvement in the war, the US shifted from an isolationist attitude to one
that supported full intervention which in part reflected the need to overcome the
deflating 1930s economy.
II.
Isolationism
 Topic sentence: In the decades following the Treaty of Versailles and throughout the
1920s, America chose to stay secluded in the Western Hemisphere in order to focus on
domestic issues instead of expanding its increasing world power.
 Source A: Oppose League of Nations in order to prevent international alliances. Warren
Harding argued that increased international obligations would be a “deadly blow at our
constitutional integrity”
o Congress refused to ratify the treaty
o America was continuing the prosper in the materialistic market of the Roaring
20s
 Source B: Charles Evans Hughes advocated the limitations on defense spending in order
to “relieve humanity.”
o Isolationism would allow the government to decrease defense spending and
therefore allocate more funds to domestic during the Roaring 20s and later
Great Depression in the 1930s.
o Henry Cabot Lodge also opposed the League
 Connect back to thesis: There was a strong sense of isolationism during the prosperous
1920s. Prosperity would not last though and economy began to decline in the 1930s
because of European reliance of investments and overexpansion of credit.
III. Military Buildup and Growing Tension (1)
 Topic sentence: During the early 1930s, as Hitler began attacking neighboring countries,
France and Britain turned to a policy of appeasement. Austria annexed by Germany
 Example: When Germany threatened to wage war, France and Britain gave the
Sudetenland to Hitler in the 1938 Munich Agreement, without the consent of
Czechoslovakia, in order to appease Germany
 Source G: Adopting the policy of appeasement would stop conflict
o Appeasement was a failed attempt of satisfying Hitler. Allies wanted to avoid
violent confrontation
o Britain and France did not declare war against Germany until September 1939
when Germany invaded Poland
IV. Military Buildup and Growing Tension (2)
 Topic sentence: As tension grew, many Americans questioning whether American would
be swept up, unprepared, into the war without a powerful military.
 Source E: Both parties advocated for military buildup in case they might be involved in
WWII
Republican Platform
Democrat Platform
 Opposed to involvement in war
 Protect America from war
 Blamed New Deal for unpreparedness
 Roosevelt
 Advocated for military buildup for
 Defend Monroe Doctrine
defense
 Build up naval and air forces
 Uphold Monroe Doctrine
o The platforms from both the Republican platform and the Democrat platform
show the growing concern that America would not be militarily ready if the war
was to begin.
o Monroe Doctrine: Further acts of Europeans to colonize in the Western
hemisphere would be viewed as acts of aggression
o Military buildup shows US moving away from isolationism
 Source F:Roosevelt agreed to supply military and naval powers to Great Britain through
the Destroyer Deal without consulting congress
o Destroyer Deal: 1940, US would give 50 destroyer vessels to Great Britain in
return for British military bases in North America
o Alliances such as the Destroyer Deal, cash and carry, and lend lease act seem to
indicate US support for Allies. Although America was not officially in the war,
its actions seemed to indicate an indirect retaliation against the Axis powers.
 Connect back to thesis: America not officially in war but actions indicate that it was
supporting Allies. The actions taken to strengthen military also show that America was
becoming increasingly more prepared to engage in war and perhaps move out of
isolationism.
IV. Intervention
 Topic sentences: The need to forcibly put down the Axis powers became more apparent,
and the final action that led to US entrance into WWII came as a result of the Bombing of
Pearl.




Source D: The Rape of Nanking happened in 1937 by the Japanese Army. “Wholesale
looting, the violation of women, the murder of civilians, the eviction of Chinese from
their homes, mass executions of war prisoners and the impressing of able-bodied men”
o Events such as the Nanking Rape were not enough to convince America to
enter the war. Though it may have increase support for the Allies by
denouncing the Japanese, dictator run government, it was not enough to push
America into the war.
Events leading up to bombing: Japan invades Manchuria (July 1937) US places an
embargo on Japan (July 1940) Pearl Harbor Bombing (Dec. 7, 1941) Roosevelt
declares war on Japan (Dec. 8, 1941)
Source C: “Officially our government stays out of world organizations” but in reality,
“few world problems arise in which the influence of the United States will not swing the
decision.” It is difficult to go against the US because it is economically influential: “our
dollars are powerful.”
o Financially, the US has high influence over problems due to its financial state.
Connect back to thesis: American participation in the war seemed inevitable due to its
high economic and political influence worldwide. Pearl Harbor was the final event that
led to full agreement that US should engage in war. The US abandoned insolation for
intervention.
V. Counterargument
 Topic sentence: Although there was practically full consensus to participate in the war
after Pearl Harbor, many still believed the consequences would outweigh the benefits that
would come at the end of WWI.
 WWI casualties = more than 300,000
 Had lingering doubts that the consequences would outweigh any benefits of engaging in
war
 Rebuttal: total war re-stimulated the economy and was a solution to the Great Depression
o War production increased
o Men served for army, women occupied jobs in the industry
VI. Conclusion
 America changed from isolation to intervention after Pearl Harbor
 Always seemed to favor Allies as seen in the financial backing
 There military had already begun to be strengthened
 Effect of high demand for military supplies was regrowth industry and end to Great
Depression