Transcript Ch 19, Sec 4: America Enters the War

Ch 19, Sec 4: America Enters the
War
Goals for Today:
• Explain how Roosevelt helped Britain while
maintaining official neutrality.
• Identify the events that led to increasing
tensions, and ultimately war, between the U.S.
and Japan.
Neutrality Act
of 1939
• Roosevelt said the U.S.
was neutral in the war
– Declared this after Britain and France declared
war on Germany after it invaded Poland
• Allowed warring countries to buy weapons
from the U.S.
– Wanted to help Britain/France legally
– Those countries had to send their own ships and
pay for supplies in cash
Loophole in the Neutrality Act
• Britain needed warships/Roosevelt wanted to
help
• U.S. gave 50 destroyers for British land to
build U.S. bases in the Caribbean and in
Newfoundland
– No sale=American
Neutrality
• Supported by most
Americans
Election of 1940
• Roosevelt ran for a 3rd term vs. Wendell
Willkie
• Both candidates wanted to support the war
but not get dragged into it
• FDR won
Lend-Lease Act
• Another loop-hole in the Neutrality Act
• Britain was out of money to pay for guns
• Now, the U.S. could lend arms to countries if
the deal is helping in the defense of the U.S.
• Countries (Britain/later Russia) would borrow
weapons or get weapons and pay for them
later
– $40 billion of supplies were given out
Hemispheric Defense Zone
• U.S. supplies had to get to the war
• German subs were still sinking ships
• U.S. ships were used to spot German subs and
report their location to British warships
• Led to tensions between the U.S. and
Germany
Export Control Act
• Limited the sale of war materials to other
countries
• Used against Japan in 1940
– Japan got 80% of their oil, iron, and steel from the
U.S.
• Resulted in Japan joining the alliance with
Germany and Italy
Lend-Lease aid to China
• U.S. sent ships to help British colonies in Asia
• U.S. sent military supplies to China
– U.S. wanted to tie up Japan so they could not fight
in the war (idea did not work)
– Japan forced to attack British colonies for
supplies/started to plan an attack on the U.S.
• FDR sent Gen. MacArthur to build up an army
in the Philippines for protection
Japan Threatens to Attack
• Nov 26, 1941- 6 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships,
and several other ships left Japan for Hawaii
• U.S. intel uncovered Japan’s threat
– Nov 27-Washington sent out a warning to West
Coast naval bases (Hawaii was not on the list)
– Other military branches did not get any intel
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Attacked
• Japanese fleet attacked on Dec 7, 1941
– 21 ships were damaged/sunk, 188 planes were
destroyed, and 2,403 were killed along with 1,178
people injured
– FDR called for war the next day
U.S. at War
• Dec 8, 1941-U.S. is officially in the war against
Japan
• Dec 11, 1941-Germany/Italy declared war on
the U.S.
Why did Germany/Italy declare war on the
U.S.?
• They did not have to go to war with U.S.
• Terms of the alliance said both countries only
had to go to war if Japan was attacked
Why did Germany/Italy declare
war on the U.S.?
• Germany declared war on the U.S. because
Hitler was mad with the American navy’s
attacks on German Sub.
• Germany hoped to defeat the U.S. quickly and
for help from Japan to defeat Russia
• Germany and Italy declared war on the US
December 11th.