A World In Flames

Unit 6Chapter 11

Lecture 1. America and the WorldA. Rise of Dictators1. Italy and Benito Mussolini (1922)

• First major dictator in Europe; Hitler’s role model• Instituted Fascism• Goal = build up military and expand country2. Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin (1926)• Totalitarian dictator • Goal = industrialize and modernize 3. Militarists and Japan (1931)• Militarists gained controlled of the government• Goal = gain resources by expanding the Japanese Empire

4. Germany and Adolf Hitler (1933)• Nazi Party focused on nationalism and rebuilding Germany in the 1930s• In Nov. 1923 the Nazi Party tried to take over Munich/Berlin; Hitler was arrested for his involvement; wrote Mein Kampf while in prison• Upon release, Hitler focused on getting himself and Nazi Party members elected to office• In 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany and called for new elections to gain a Nazi Party majority in govt.• Hitler was granted unlimited power by the govt.• Hitler’s began remilitarizing Germany violating the Treaty of Versailles

B. America and Neutrality1. Isolationism• Dictatorships in Europe and remilitarization led to the belief that America should avoid international conflicts that might lead to war2. Nye Committee (1934)• Govt. committee that investigated the belief that the US got involved in WWI to help American industry make $3. Neutrality Act of 1935• Made it illegal for American companies to sell arms to any country at war4. Neutrality Act of 1937• Established a “cash and carry” basis for the selling of US non-military goods to countries at war• Causes: Spanish Civil War and Rome-Berlin Axis Pact5. FDR and Internationalism• FDR did not support isolationism • Focused on creating prosperity through trade in hopes of preventing war

Lecture 2: The War in Europe BeginsA. German Expansion 1. Anschluss (March 1938)• Invasion of Austria; Hitler’s goal of reunifying the former German empire2. Munich Conference (Sept. 1938)• Meeting of the major European powers in which England and France hoped to stop Hitler’s aggression• England and France developed an appeasement policy; Hitler got part of Czechoslovakia in return for a promise to stop expansionist policies3. Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact (August 1939)• Agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union to avoid war• Allowed Hitler to avoid fighting a two-front war

B. The War Begins1. Blitzkrieg “Lightening War” in Poland (Sept. 1, 1939)• September 1, 1939-Germany invaded Poland from the west and the Soviet Union invaded from the east• September 3, 1939-England and France declared war on Germany for violating the Munich Pact 2. Fall of France (June 1940)• French forces waited at the Maginot Line for Germany to attack=phony war• Hitler planned to attack France by going around the Maginot Line requiring him to invade Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg• England and France attempted to help Belgium allowing Germany to smash through the French lines

3. Battle of Britain (June 1940)• After the fall of France, Hitler believed that England would negotiate a peace treaty, Winston Churchill refused • Hitler’s air force, the Luftwaffe, responded by attacking British ships in the English Channel and the Royal Air Force• Germans accidentally bombed London and the RAF retaliated by attacking Berlin• Hitler ordered the Luftwaffe to concentrate attacks on London hoping to terrorize England into surrendering• The outnumbered RAF utilized new radar technology to detect incoming German aircraft and due to heavy losses Hitler called off the invasion of Britain in October 1940

Lecture 3: America Enters the WarA. FDR Supports England 1. Neutrality Act of 1939• FDR asked Congress to revise earlier Neutrality laws to help England and France• Congress allowed warring nations to buy weapons from the US on a cash and carry basis only 2. Destroyers for Bases Deal (Sept. 1940)• Roosevelt gave Churchill old US Navy Destroyers in exchange for the right to build military bases on British-owned land in the CaribbeanB. Debate over Isolationism 1. America First Committee• Group of prominent Americans that strongly opposed aiding the allies and worked to get FDR out of office 2. Election of 1940• Democrats re-nominated FDR • Republicans nominated Wendell Willkie• FDR won becoming the first president to serve 3 terms

C. Moving Towards War1. Lend-Lease Act (December 1940)• England could no longer pay cash for weapons • FDR came up with a new plan that allowed the US to lend $ and weapons to countries that were vital to the defense of the US• The US became the “great arsenal of democracy”2. Hemispheric Defense Zone• FDR declared that the entire western part of the Atlantic Ocean was part of the Western Hemisphere and therefore neutral and protected by the US Navy• Allowed FDR to use the Navy to protect Lend Lease shipments 3. Atlantic Charter (August 1941)• FDR and Winston Churchill met to discuss their vision of the postwar world • Key ideas included no territorial gains for any country, self-determination, promotion of trade, freedom of the seas, arms reduction, economic advancement

4. Four Freedoms Speech (Jan. 6 1941)• FDR’s famous State of the Union Address• Hoped to gain support of Congress and the American people to give further aid to our allies• Based on ideas in the 1st Amendment and Atlantic Charter• American artist, Norman Rockwell created his interpretation of the Four Freedoms that became the enduring representation of FDR’s speech

Four Freedoms by Norman Rockwell

Four Freedoms by Norman Rockwell

D. Japan Attacks the United States1. America Embargoes Japan (July 1940)• July 1940-FDR begins restricting the sale of strategic materials (oil) to Japan• FDR’s goal was to halt Japanese aggression in Asia• Japan responded by signing the Tripartite Pact formalizing an alliance with Germany and Italy• US entered into negotiations with Japan offering to lift the embargo on strategic materials if Japan withdrew from Indochina• November 26, 1941-Japan sent six aircraft carriers, two battleships and other warships to Hawaii• November 27, 1941-American commanders at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii received a war warning from Washington DC, but it did not mention Hawaii as a possible Japanese target

2. Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7, 1941)• Lack of information and disregard towards radar information left Pearl Harbor open to attack• Due to the narrow inlet and shallow waters of Pearl Harbor the ships were unable to escape to open water and became sitting ducks• 7:40am-First wave of attacks begins• 8:40am-Second wave of attacks begins• Japan’s surprise attack sank or damaged 8 battleships, 3 cruisers, 4 destroyers, and 6 other vessels, and 188 air planes • 2, 403 Americans died and 1,178 injured3. US and Axis Powers Declare War• December 8, 1941-FDR asked Congress to declare war on Japan• December 11, 1941-Germany and Italy coming to the aid of Japan declared war on the US