Chapter 25US Neutrality

US Foreign Policy 1933-1934

It’s all about trying to reduce costs and increase trade!!!!!

Philippines

Too expensive to keep!!!!! Tydings – McDuffie Act (1934): Philippines

would be granted independence after 10 years First they had to draft a constitution that we approved

of Actually takes 12 years because of WWII (July 4, 1946) We promise▪ No US Army bases▪ US keeps Naval bases

Japanese viewed this as US abandoning power in Pacific- motivates them to take more territory

US Recognizes Russia

U.S. formally recognized the Soviet Union in 1933

Protests were voiced by

▪ conservatives

▪ Roman Catholics

FDR’s motivations:

establishing trade

counterweight to the possible threat of Germany and Japan

Good Neighbor Policy

“I would dedicate this nation to the policy of the Good Neighbor.” -1933 inaugural speech

US would not uphold Roosevelt Corollary while FDR was in power - Seventh Pan-American Conference in Montevideo, Uruguay in late 1933

Reciprocal Trade Agreement (1934)

Created by Secretary of State, Cordell Hull

President could lower tariffs by as much as 50% without consulting Congress

▪ High tariffs choke off foreign trade ▪ Trade wars bring about shooting wars ▪ Ushers in idea of Free Trade that takes off after

WWII▪ No blanket tariffs, negotiate by region –keep tariffs low

▪ US trade increased dramatically

America reacts to increasing tension in Europe

US desperately wants to avoid getting involved in another European conflict Issues legislation that is designed to

keep us out of another WWI, not fully taking into account the current situation…

American Isolationism in the face of increasing European Tensions

Johnson Debt Default Act (1934) – nations who defaulted on their debts can’t borrow further “If attacked again they can stew in their

own juices.” Other calls for isolationism

1. amendment : can only declare war if invaded▪ proposed numerous times, never passes

▪2. war could be declared by popular vote

Neutrality Acts

The Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936, and 1937 – when taken together Stated that when the president proclaimed the existence

of a foreign war ▪ No American could legally sail on a belligerent ship (ship of a

country at war)▪ Sell or transport war material to a belligerent (country at war), or ▪ Make loans to a belligerent (country at war)

The Acts were tailored to keep the U.S. out of a conflict like WW I ▪ Abandoned freedom of the seas▪ Allows us to sit back as dictators advance their plans▪ Ethiopia, Spain, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Poland…

What events are influencing the passage of these acts?

European Acts of Aggression

1933: Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany

1934: August Hitler becomes Fuehrer 1935:

3/16/35- Hitler announces the build up of the Germany military violating the Treaty of Versailles▪ US passes neutrality act of 1935

European Acts of Aggression 10/3/35- Italy

invades Ethiopia One of 3

independent nations in Africa

Ethiopia appealed to the League of Nations to come to their defense, they condemn the attack but do nothing

European Acts of Aggression 1936:

3/7/36-German Troops Occupy the Rhineland▪ Hitler is continuing to test T.O.V.▪ Moves troops into demilitarized zone on the German

/French border▪ No one does anything, emboldens Hitler▪ Britain and France follow policy of appeasement

France

European Acts of Aggression

7/17/36- Spanish Civil War breaks out ( ends 4/39)▪ Fascist Franco leads revolt

against Republicans (loyalist) government▪ Aided by Hitler and

Mussolini ; want another Fascist on the continent Money and supplies

▪ Loyalists aided by Soviets; fearful of another fascist on the continent▪ Send money and supplies

▪ Britain and France remain neutral

▪ US responds by passing the Neutrality Acts of 1936 and 37▪ Some Americans volunteer to

fight with the loyalists and head to Spain

European Acts of Aggression 1938:

3/12 &13/38- Germany announces Anschluss (union) with Austria

European Acts of Aggression

9/30/38-Munich Agreement ▪ Hitler wants Sudetenland b/c 3 million German speaking

people live there, begins propaganda campaign summer of 38▪ Forbidden by T.O.V.▪ France, Great Britain request a meeting with Germany and

Italy in hopes of avoiding war▪ France has a defensive pact with Czechoslovakia, Britain has one with

France▪ agree to allow Hitler to annex the Sudetenland (part of Czechoslovakia) if

he promises not to expand any more▪ Make it clear to Hitler that Poland is off limits

Policy of Appeasement: Give Hitler what he wants so he doesn't come after us▪ Neville Chamberlin (PM of G.B.):

“Peace in our time”

Poland

France

Appeasement ?!?

Why appeasement? Want to avoid war at all

costs▪ Concerned about poor economic

situation of their own nation▪ Fearful of another devastating war

in less than 2 decades Any objections?

Winston Churchill (then member of Parliament, future PM of G.B.)▪ “ We are in the presence of a

disaster of the first magnitude…we have sustained a defeat without war…and do not suppose that this is the end…this is only the first sip, the first foretaste of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year unless, by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial vigor, we arise again and take our stand for freedom…”

European Acts of Aggression

8/23/39: German –Soviet non aggression pact signed

3 parts ▪ 1. USSR and Germany

created a trade agreement▪ 2. promised remain neutral

if either country engages in war (to last 10 years)

▪ 3. Secret part of agreement:▪ if Germany invades Poland it

will split the country with USSR

▪ USSR can invade Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland without reprisal from Germany

European Acts of Aggression

9/1/39: Germany invades Poland▪ Britain and France have military alliance

with Poland 9/3/39: British and French declare

war on Germany

Fear of engagement in the Pacific

12/ 1937 – The American gunboat, Panay, sailing in Chinese waters, is bombed and sunk by Japanese planes, leaving two U.S. sailors dead and thirty injured

Unlike U.S. reactions in the past, there was little to no U.S. outrage▪ Japan apologized, claimed they didn’t know it was a US

vessel▪ Paid $2 million

By 1939 Japan would control ¼ of China!

American Neutrality after start of War

WWII begins 9/1/39 try to maintain neutrality as long as

possible, but FDR sees the writing on the wall Americans were overwhelmingly anti-Nazi They definitely wanted B and F to prevail

FDR asks Congress to change Neutrality Acts –debate ensues

American Neutrality after start of War

After six weeks the Neutrality Act of 1939 was passed: ▪ European democracies could buy American

war material on a “cash and carry” basis ▪ Pick it up and pay in cash▪ We will go as far as Iceland

▪ president authorized to declare danger zones - American ships were forbidden

American Neutrality after start of War

The Act was designed so that America could avoid: ▪ Making loans ▪ Accumulating war debts ▪ Torpedoing of American ships

The Act also accomplished these goals: ▪ It favored democracies over dictators ▪ Helped to solve the decade long

unemployment crisis

Greater US involvement

France Falls June 22,1940

$37 billion to build a huge air fleet and a two-ocean navy (more than the entire cost of WW I and about five times the cost of any New Deal budget).

Congress passes a Conscription Law on September 6, 1940 – the nation’s first peacetime draft – ▪ 2 million

Greater US involvement

Americans divided!

Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies (CDAAA) was in favor of assisting Britain

The America First Committee argued that all of America’s resources should be used to defend its’ own shores (Charles Lindbergh and Henry Ford)

Greater US involvement

Britain was in critical need of destroyers because German submarine attacks

September 2, 1940 – Presidential Agreement with Great Britain 50 WW I vintage destroyers are

transferred to the British in exchange for eight defensive base sites stretching from Newfoundland to South America

Presidential Election 1940

FDR (Democrat) vs. Wendell Willkie (Republican) FDR= 3 terms / controversial▪ Experience helps him win

Willkie = FDR good, but no one should serve 3 terms

Presidential Election 1940

449 electoral votes to 82

Lend- Lease

By late 1940 Britain was running out of money FDR’s solution was Lend-Lease (March

1941)▪ leasing American arms to the democracies for

their use during the war ▪ Support G.B. / keep us out of war▪ “Arsenal of democracy”

Lend-Lease

One of the most momentous laws ever to pass Congress geared U.S. factories for all-out war production ▪German submarines began to attack

Meanwhile in the Pacific…

1937 – Japan engages in an all-out attack of China, beginning the Sino-Japanese War

To avoid invoking the Neutrality Act, FDR wouldn’t declare this a war Want to help China▪ Worried about Japan may go after Hawaii , Philippines▪ Actually helps Japan b/c they have more $

10/ 37 : FDR delivers his “Quarantine Speech”- calling for a voluntary embargo on selling goods to Japan Isolationists upset, causing FDR to back off

Fear of engagement in the Pacific

12/ 1937 – The American gunboat, Panay, sailing in Chinese waters, is bombed and sunk by Japanese planes, leaving two U.S. sailors dead and thirty injured

Unlike U.S. reactions in the past, there was little to no U.S. outrage▪ Japan apologized, claimed they didn’t know it was a US

vessel▪ Paid $2 million

By 1939 Japan would control ¼ of China!

Meanwhile in the Pacific:

June 1940 Japan gets stuff

from their Allies to help them attack nations in S. Pacific▪ Need rubber and

oil. Occupy French

Indochina ▪ German’s give it to

them▪ Build airfields

Increasing Tension with Japan

US response: Extended Lend –Lease to China Refused to export arms to Japan Froze all Japanese assets (money)

in the United States Stopped exporting oil to Japan—a

significant punishment, considering 80 percent of Japanese oil came from the United States

Roosevelt : withdraw from China or these punishments stay in place

FDR moves Pacific fleet to Hawaii : Summer 1940

Nov 1941, we know an attack is coming but think it will be at British Malaya or the Philippines

Japanese Attack the US at Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941

The attacking planes came in two waves; the first hit its target at 7:53 AM, the second at 8:55.

By 9:55 it was all over. 2,403 dead 161 destroyed planes , 108

damaged a crippled Pacific Fleet that

included 3 damaged and 5 sunken battleships.▪ 2 of the 5 battleships that were

sunk were salvaged. The 3 damaged ships were repaired by Feb 1942 (only 2 months later!)

Americans united behind a declaration of war

Pearl Harbor

The same day Japan was able to launch attacks against the Philippines, Guam, Midway, Wake Island and British Malaya They would continue to gain territory for the next

several months stopping just short of Australia Failures of the attack:

6 aircraft carriers were not there 25 submarines not damaged fuel oil storage facilities not targeted dry dock (repair station) emerged unscathed.

These would be the foundation for an eventual American victory.

Declaration of War

December 8, 1941 US Declares War! “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a

date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. “ –FDR

The home front during the war

Military spending revived the economy

Government instituted price controls to keep inflation in check

Formal rationing, unlike WWI OPA = Office of Price Administration

Home Front

Continued migration of African Americans north

1.6 million left South FDR issued executive order

forbidding discrimination in defense industries Double V campaign

Home front

“Rosie the Riveter” was the nickname given to American women who did industrial work in the 1940s Significant movement of married women

into the workforce, many pushed out after the war

Home Front

Korematsu v. United States Internment of Japanese Americans

during WWII raised questions of constitutionality

Supreme Court ruled that limitations of rights during wartime was acceptable