Transcript “This nation will remain a neutral nation, but I cannot ask that every

Edging Towards War (19-4)
• FDR Supports England
– Intent of the revised Neutrality Act (1939)
– Battleships for bases
• The Isolationist Debate
– Three groups and opinions towards the war
– Reason why FDR ran a third time
The Isolationist Debate
Three major groups summarized the options
Americans had during WWII
• Fight for Freedom Committee—urged the
immediate declaration of war on Germany
• Committee to Defend America—supported
U.S. aid to the Allies but not American
personnel
• American First Committee—opposed any
American intervention or aid to the Allies
“This nation will remain a neutral
nation, but I cannot ask that
every American remain neutral in
thought as well…Even a neutral
cannot be asked to close his
mind or his conscience.”
What do you think this quote by
FDR means?
Debating the American Role
• Nazis dominated
Europeif Britain fell
Germany would control
the Atlantic
• Nazi victories
suppressed U.S.
isolationism
• July 1940—more 66%
of Americans felt
Germany was direct
threat to the U.S.
Propaganda
• How would the two pieces of wartime
propaganda have affected the U.S.
perception of the war and Nazi Germany?
• What is the purpose of wartime
propaganda?
• 1940 Selective
Training and Service
Act1st peacetime
draft in US history
• U.S. Defense
spending$1.7 billion
(1940) to $6 billion
(1941)
• Election of
1940FDR reelected and promised
“Your boys will not be
sent into any foreign
war.”