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Global Struggles
Unit 7
1941-1960
A World in Flames
America Enters the War
Chapter 20 Section 4
FDR Supports England
• President Roosevelt officially proclaims the
United States neutral
• Destroyers-for-Bases Deal
– Called a special meeting of Congress to revise the
neutrality laws
– Winston Churchill asked Roosevelt to transfer old
American destroyers to Great Britain
– Roosevelt found a loophole in the neutrality law
• In EXCHANGE for the right to build American bases on
British controlled areas: Newfoundland, Bermuda we
will send 50 destroyers to Britain
FDR Supports England
• The Isolationist Debate
– The public actually supported the exchange of destroyers
– Fight for Freedom Committee
• Group that urged the repeal of all neutrality laws
– America First Committee
• Opposed any American intervention or aid to the allies
– Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies
• Called for increased aid to the Allies but opposed arm intervention
– Roosevelt decided to run for a third time
• Did not chose between neutrality or intervention
• Was reelected because the people did not want a change with a
crisis so near
Edging Toward War
• Roosevelt expanded the nation’s role in the
war
• Four Freedoms
– Freedom of Speech
– Freedom of Worship
– Freedom from Want
– Freedom from Fear
Edging Toward War
• The Lend-Lease Act
– December 1940 Great Britain had run out of
money to fight against the British
– Allow the US to lend or lease arms to any country
considered vital to the defense of the United
States
– Congress passed this bill
– Shipped supplies to Great Britain and the USSR!
– Hitler went against the Nazi-Soviet Pact invaded
the Soviet Union
Edging Toward War
• A Hemispheric Defense Zone
– Roosevelt declared that the entire Western Half of
the Atlantic was part of the Western Hemisphere
and it was neutral
– Because of this the US Navy could patrol the
western Atlantic and reveal the positions of the
German Submarines
Edging Toward War
• The Atlantic Charter
– Roosevelt and Churchill met together
– Committed both nations to a postwar world of
democracy, nonaggression, free trade, economic
advancement and freedom of the seas
– September – A German U-boat fired an American
Destroyer
• Roosevelt ordered a “shoot – on – site” policy
Japan Attacks
• America Embargoes Japan
– Japan depended on America for key materials
• Scrap Iron, steel and oil
– Congress granted the president the power to restrict
the sale of strategic materials
• Roosevelt immediately blocked the sale of airplane fuel and
scrap iron
• Roosevelt froze all Japanese assets in the US
– Roosevelt agreed to lift the embargo if Japan would
make peace with China
– What do you think Japan is going to do?????
Japan Attacks
• Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
– The Japanese Government and the United States’
government appeared to be continuing the
negotiations
– American commanders at the Pearl Harbor naval
base received a warning but Hawaii was not
mentioned
– December 7, 1941
• Surprise attack by the Japanese
• Destroyed nearly everything that was at Pearl Harbor
Japan Attacks
• Germany Declares War
– Hitler did not want to declare war on the United
States
– The alliance said that Germany would come to
Japan’s aid only if they were attacked
– Hitler was frustrated with the attacks on German
Submarines
– December 11, Germany and Italy declared war
on the United States