Transcript World War II (1939-1945)

World War II (19391945)
US Involvement
(1941-1945)
Causes for World War II
UNDERLYING:
 Treaty of Versailles
 Nationalism
 Worldwide
Depression
 Dictatorships
 The policy of
appeasement
 American
Isolationism
DIRECT:
 Germany invading
Poland on
September 1st,
1939
Hitler and Nazi Germany
Rise to power result of
weakness of previous
government (1933became Chancellor)
 Charismatic speaker,
preached German
nationalism, denounced
Versailles Treaty
 Blamed Jews,
communists for
Germany’s problems
 Promised return of
German pride

Benito Mussolini in Italy
 Fascist
leader who took
control of Italy in 1922
 Wanted to create another
Roman Empire
 Invaded Ethiopia in 1935
 Along with Hitler
supported Francisco
Franco in the Spanish
Civil War (combat
experience)
Japanese Expansion
 Sought
total control
of Pacific (resources)
 1931- military
occupation of
Manchuria
 1936- Japan signs
Pact with Germany,
Italy
 Nanking MassacreDecember 1937
American Neutrality

President Roosevelt
U.S. in midst of Great
Depression, public intent
on remaining neutral
Isolationism in the United
States
 Economic,
Hitler and
Mussolini
military reasons
for neutrality
 Tried to prevent mistakes
that led to WWI involvement
 FDR: “Let no one imagine
that we will escape…that this
western hemisphere will not
be attacked”—outraged
many isolationists

From Neutrality to Undeclared
War
When WW II began in 1939, FDR got Congress
agree to a cash & carry policy to aid the Allies:
– The U.S. would trade with the Allies but would not
offer loans & would not deliver American products to
Europe (so come get them yourselves!)

“Destroyers for Bases”: 50 American
destroyers exchanged for the use of 8 British
naval bases along the North Atlantic coast
– allowed the U.S. to extend its influence

FDR called for a Lend-Lease Act:
– US can sell or lend war supplies to Allied nations
From Neutrality to Undeclared
War
Isolationists
 Appalled by this
departure from
neutrality & FDR’s
involvement of the
US in a foreign war
 Their “Fortress of
America” idea argued
that Germany was
not a threat to the
US
Interventionists
 Groups like the
Committee to Defend
America by Aiding the
Allies called for
unlimited aid to
England
 They argued that the
events in Europe did
impact the security of
US
From Neutrality to Undeclared
War

England desperately needed help
escorting these supplies through the uboat infested Atlantic
– FDR allowed for US patrols in the western half
of the Atlantic
– German attacks on US ships led to an
undeclared naval war in 1941 & allowed US
ships to fully deliver war supplies to Allies
US Cash and Carry Program
FDR’s Four Freedoms
 “The first is freedom of speech and expression--
everywhere in the world.
 The second is freedom of every person to worship God
in his own way--everywhere in the world.
 The third is freedom from want--which, translated into
world terms, means economic understandings which will
secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its
inhabitants-everywhere in the world.
 The fourth is freedom from fear--which, translated into
world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to
such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation
will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression
against any neighbor--anywhere in the world.”
From Neutrality to Undeclared War

In 1941, FDR & Churchill met to secretly draft
the Atlantic Charter:
– The U.S. & Britain discussed military strategy if
America were to enter the war
– They discussed post-war goals of liberty, free
trade, & disarmament
The U.S. Enters the War

The U.S. destroyer Greer
attacked in September
1941 
– direct involvement in naval
warfare
USS Greer
Atlantic Charter
United States and Japan
 Japan wanted to extend
influence in Far East
 Anticipating attack in the
Philippines, in July 1940:
U.S. embargo of raw
materials to Japan
Japanese attack on
Pearl Harbor
 December 7, 1941: Japan
attacks Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii
Images of Pearl Harbor
America Enters War
Pearl Harbor attack
devastates nation
 FDR: “A date which will
live in infamy”
 December 8, 1941- FDR
receives war declaration
from Congress against
Japan
 Germany, Italy declare
war on United States

FDR addresses Congress after
Pearl Harbor attack