Franklin Roosevelt’s Policies, 19331938
The Great Depression resulted in mostly
isolationism during his 1st term.
Good-Neighbor Policy
• 1933: Roosevelt promised a
“policy of the good neighbor”
toward other nations of the
Western Hemisphere
• Sought Latin America’s
cooperation in defending the
region from potential danger of
Germany and Italy
– Pan-American Conferences
– Cuba: Congress nullified the Platt
Amendment and only retained
Economic Diplomacy
• London Economic Conference (1933)
– Roosevelt withdrew support after proposals were made to
stabilize currencies
• Recognition of the Soviet Union
– Wanted to increase trade and boost economy
• Philippines
– Tydings-McDuffie Act (1934)
– Gradual removal of U.S.
– Complete independence by 1946
• Reciprocal Trade Agreements
– Lowered tariffs
– President given power to reduce tariffs by 50% for nations
that reciprocated
Events Abroad
• Fascism and Aggressive Militarism
– Italy
– Germany
– Japan
American Isolationists
• U.S. was nationalistic, but expressed itself differently
than the fascists and militarists
• Revisionist History of WWI
– 1930’s belief that the U.S. entry into WWI had been a
mistake
• Neutrality Acts
– 1935: authorized the president to prohibit all arms
shipments and forbade U.S. citizens to travel on ships of
belligerent nations
– 1936: forbade loans to belligerents
– Forbade shipment of arms to opposing sides in the civil
war in Spain
• America First Committee
– 1940: Isolationists worried about FDR’s pro-British policies
– Speakers like Charles Lindbergh traveled country warning
Prelude to War
• Appeasement
– Ethiopia, 1935
– Rhineland, 1936
– China, 1937
– Sudetenland, 1938
• U.S. Response
– Roosevelt’s
Quarantine Speech
– FDR dropped ideas
due to isolationist
opposition
From Neutrality to War, 1939-1941
• Invasion of Poland
• Blitzkrieg
• Changing U.S. Policy
– “Cash and Carry”
– Selective Service Act (1940)
– Destroyers-for-bases Deal
The Election of 1940
• Wendell
Willkie (R)
• Results
– FDR won for
3rd time with
54% of
popular vote
– Why did he
win?
• Strong
economic
recovers
due to arms
Arsenal of Democracy
• FDR’s Four Freedoms Speech
– Committed to
•
•
•
•
Freedom of speech
Freedom of religion
Freedom from want
Freedom from fear
• Lend-Lease Act
• Atlantic Charter
– Affirmed peace objectives at end of war
• Self-determination
• No territorial expansion
• Free trade
• Shoot-on-Sight
Disputes with Japan
• U.S. Economic
Action
– Froze Japanese
assets in U.S.
– Cut off access
to U.S.
materials,
including oil
• Negotiations
• Pearl Harbor
– Partial Surprise