Post on 02-Jan-2016
transcript
The Winds of War
America Remains Neutral?
The Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936, & 1937.
• Could not sell or transport munitions (or make loans) to a belligerent.
• Ostrich mentality.
• Roosevelt “Quarantine Speech”. Punish aggressors by use of economic embargoes.
• Panay incident. 12/37.
Neutrality Act of 1939.
• European democracies could buy American war materials but only on a “cash and carry’ basis.
• September, 1940. The first peacetime draft takes place.
Election of 1940.
• Willkie v. Roosevelt
Closer to war
• Lend-lease Act: - “Send guns - not sons.”
• An economic declaration of war.
• Germany starts to take off the gloves.
Atlantic Charter
• August 1941.• Churchill and
Roosevelt.• Similar to Wilson’s 14
points.• Self-determination,
right to choose own gov’t, greater democracy.
Big troubles with little Japan
• China• Late 1940- 1941.
Embargoes on scrap iron, steel, assets, oil.
• Deliberate actions to instigate war?
December 7th, 1941. “A day which will live in infamy.”
Conspiracy Theory• Standard Japanese test question.
• Knew that war was inevitable due to the instruction given to Nomura. Code broken.
• Knew that a large Japanese task force had left Japan.
• Pac fleet sat at anchor. “the US desires that Japan commit the first overt act.” Marshall.
• Intercept order for the Japanese embassy to destroy papers and prepare to evacuate.
• Agents & reported sightings of the Japanese fleet.
• Marshall and Frank Knox missing on the 6th.
• The missing aircraft carriers.