■American Reaction to the

outbreak of WWII

■ Thursday 10/18/12

■ Essential Question:–What was the U.S. response to

the outbreak of World War II?

■ Warm-Up Question:–Germany, Italy, Britain, & USA all

experienced an economic depression in the 1930s

–Germany & Italy turned to dictators, while the USA & Britain used democracy to elect leaders

–How were the totalitarian leaders different from democratic ones?

America’s Response to World War II: Read Situation #1 (1930—1938)

Answer: DAnswer: D

America’s Response in the 1930s■ America’s response to the rise of

totalitarianism was isolationism:–Congress passed the Neutrality

Acts (1935-1937) that outlawed weapons sales to nations at war & required trade during wartime to be done on foreign ships

–Americans protested when FDR tried to convince world leaders to

“quarantine” aggressor nations

America’s Response to World War II: Read Situation #2 (1939)

Answer: CAnswer: C

America’s Response in 1939

■ To help Britain & France defeat Germany, Congress passed the “cash-and-carry” provision:

–Amended the Neutrality Acts to allow arms sales to the Allies

–But Allied nations had to agree to pay in cash & transport supplies on their own ships

America’s Response to World War II: Read Situation #3 (1940)

Answer: DAnswer: D

America’s Response in 1940-1941

■ By 1940, Britain needed U.S. aid to hold off the German assault:–The Lend-Lease Act allowing the

U.S. to send war supplies to Allied nations & transport goods to Europe on armed U.S. ships

–FDR began preparing America for a possible war by calling for the 1st ever peacetime draft

Lend-Lease Act of 1941

The United States will become the “Arsenal of Democracy”

America’s Response to World War II: Read Situation #4 (1941)

Answer: DAnswer: D

America’s Response in 1941■ The success of the Axis Powers in

Europe brought the USA closer to an undeclared war on Germany

–FDR gave the navy & merchant ships authority to fire on u-boats

–FDR secretly drafted the Atlantic Charter with Churchill: planned a war strategy if the USA entered WWII & a post-war United Nations

America’s Response in 1941■ The USA attempted to stop

Japanese aggression in Asia:

–FDR wanted to protect U.S. territories & allies in the Pacific

–The USA created an embargo & stopped selling iron & oil to Japan

–Hideki Tojo sent an envoy to negotiate a resolution, but secretly plotted to attack the U.S.

America’s Response to World War II: Read Situation #5 (1941)

Answer: CAnswer: C

America’s Response in 1941■ The Japanese attack on Pearl

Harbor on Dec 7, 1941 brought the USA into World War II–On Dec 8, Congress declared

war on Japan–On Dec 11, Germany & Italy

declared war on the U.S.■ The USA had to fight a two-front

war in Europe & Asia; Despite the attack by Japan, FDR viewed Germany as the immediate threat

■ WWII (vlogbrothers)