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
“Return to Normalcy”: 1920-1932 – US ISOLATIONISM
“RED SCARE” – 1919 and 1920 – Fear of communists in America
Immigration Restrictions (1921 and 1924)
 Quotas on immigrants from certain nations
Washington Naval Conferences (1920-1922)
 4, 5 and 9 Power Pacts
The Dawes Plan (1924) – US “bailout” for Germany
Kellogg-Briand Pact – 1928 –
 international agreement not to use war as in instrument of foreign policy; this would
“guarantee” world peace
Hawley-Smoot Tariff – 1930:
 high tariff hurt international trade; made depression worse
1931: Japan invaded Manchuria1931
 Stimson Doctrine:
► US would not recognize a nation’s acquisition of land by use of force
1932: Lausanne Conference:
 Because of global depression, this suspended loan repayments and reparations
US Foreign Policy Responses After Hitler’s Rise to Power
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. A reaction to rising Fascist nations in Europe.
► 1934: Tydings-McDuffie Act
 Philippines promised their 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…
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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 : FDR told of a “disease” that had to be quarantined;
the disease was “FASCISM”.
1938: Austrian “Anschluss”, Rome-Berlin Axis, Anti-Comintern Pact, the
Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia: NO DIPLOMATIC MOVES BY US
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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)
June 1940 to June 1941:
The War and US ‘Neutrality’ Continue...
►Selective Service Act (September)
peace-time military draft; preparing to raise an army “just in case”
►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)
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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.