Transcript the British, the Jewish, or the administration -

Warm Up:
Identify the purpose and belief of the
Committee to Defend America First.
Chapter 27 Notes
(867-871)
The Coming Storm of War
The student will understand relations of the
U.S. with the world in the late 1930s,
especially France, Great Britain, Latin
American and Japan. The student will also
understand how these relationships were
impacted by the coming of war.
AL COS 11th grade #11
In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the
Neutrality Act, or Senate Joint Resolution No. 173,
which he calls an "expression of the desire...to avoid
any action which might involve [the U.S.] in war." The
signing came at a time when newly installed fascist
governments in Europe were beginning to beat the
drums of war.
The original 1935 act was made even more restrictive
in May 1937, forbidding not only arms and loans to
warring nations, but giving the president of the United
States the authority to forbid Americans from traveling
on ships of any warring nation, to forbid any U.S. ship
from carrying U.S. goods, even nonmilitary,
to a belligerent, and to demand that a belligerent nation
pay for U.S. nonmilitary goods before shipment--a
"cash and carry" plan.
Finally, when the U.S. destroyer Reuben James was
sunk by a German sub in October 1941, the Neutrality
Act was destined for the dustbin of history. By
November, not only would merchant ships be allowed
to arm themselves for self-defense, but they would also
be allowed to enter European territorial waters. America
would no longer stand aloof from the hostilities.
I. American response to the War from 1939-1941
A. Sept. '39, Cash-and-carry policy instituted
by request of President
B. Most Americans supported France and
England, but were more committed to
avoiding getting involved in the war.
C. Election of 1940
1. War issue forces Democrats to stay united;
FDR plays statesmen in the election
2. Some Republicans supported greater aid
to Great Britain which led to a split
Republican party between interventionists
and anti-interventionists
3. FDR creates bipartisan support to create
a peace time draft (which was different
from WWI) and transfer of destroyers for
British base leases (executive agreement in
Sept. 1940.
4. Committee to Defend America First argued
that the U.S. had the strength to stand alone
against Hitler if necessary.
America First Committee Original Four Principles:
1. The United States must build an impregnable defense for America
2. No foreign power, nor group of powers, can successfully attack a
prepared America
3. American democracy can be preserved only by keeping out of the
European war.
4. "Aid short of war" weakens national defense at home and threatens
to involve America in war abroad.
"If any one of these groups--the British, the Jewish, or the administration
--stops agitating for war, I believe there will be little danger of our
involvement."
Charles Lindbergh- September 11, 1941
D. Lend-Lease program (after election) for Br.
in Mar. '41; June '41 for U.S.S.R.to help
them defeat the Nazis
E. Increased navy involvement from monitoring
U-boats for the British, to conveying supplies
with order to destroy subs, to occupying
Greenland and Iceland, and the arming of
merchant ships.
F. Atlantic Charter (see page 870)
G. Continuation of Good Neighbor policy to
develop a hemispheric common front against
fascism.
II. Japan relations (Americans largely ignore
growing crisis.)
A. U.S. continues to negotiate with Japan to
avoid a conflict that might interfere with
Atlantic effort, and the U.S. was not ready
for a two-front war.
B. Trade stops with Japan including aviation
fuel, scrap metal, steel and other metals
C. July '41, all Japanese assets frozen and
complete embargo; lack of fuel source and
other materials forces Japanese to consider
attack; choose Dec. as deadline.
D. Discuss cut off of negotiations and attack
Tripartite Pact on
27 September 1940
Chapter 27 Notes
(867-871)
The student will understand relations of the
U.S. with the world in the late 1930s,
especially France, Great Britain, Latin
American and Japan. The student will also
understand how these relationships were
impacted by the coming of war.
AL COS 11th grade #11