From Neutrality to War: The Path of American Involvement

1. Chapter 24 Section 4: From Isolationism to War

2. Neutrality Acts • 1935- banned the US from providing weapons to nations at war • 1936- banned loans to such nations

3. 1937- permitted trade with fighting nations in nonmilitary goods, as long as they paid cash & transported the cargo • Cash & carry • Prevented the US from selling arms even to nations that were defending themselves from aggression

4. FDR later said that it encouraged aggression • 1938- Italy conquered Ethiopia, Japan had China, & Germany took over Austria & the Sudetenland

5. American Involvement Grows • Our economy was recovering • Germany & Japan stepped up their aggression • Softened our isolationist views • Sept. 1939 Germany invaded Poland • FDR looked for ways to aid the Allies

6. Debating the American Role • FDR asked for a revision of the Neutrality Acts • Congress repealed the arms embargo & provided GB & France with the weapons they needed

7. Later allowed our merchant ships to transport these purchases • Still prevents us from lending money • June 1940- France fell to Germany & Hitler prepared to invade Britain

8. Sept. 3- sent 50 old destroyers to GB in return for permission to build bases on British territory in the western hemisphere • Isolationists formed the American First Committee to block further aid

9. Election of 1940 • FDR & Wendell Wilkie both supported aiding GB • Disagreed on how much • Both knew that war would be hard to avoid

10. Lend-Lease • FDR won re-election to a third term • Pushed for a greater involvement to the Allies • Plan- providing war supplies to GB without any payment in return

11. Authorized the President to aid nations’ whose defense he believed was vital to American security • By the end, the US loaned $49 billion to 40 nations

12. Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor • July 1940- FDR began limiting what Japan could buy from the US • Sept. ended sale of scrap iron & steel- hoped to stop further expansion

13. FDR froze Japanese financial assets in the US & cut off all oil shipments • Led Japan to turn to the Dutch East Indies for supplies

14. Final Weeks of Peace • In Oct. 1941 Gen. Hideki Tojo took power in Japan who supported a war with the US • A year earlier we cracked the top secret Japanese code that allowed us to read intercepted diplomatic messages

15. Nov. 27- Leaders knew that the Japanese aircraft carriers were on the move in the Pacific • Fleet of 6 aircraft carriers & 20 other battleships • Target was Pearl Harbor- home of the US Pacific Fleet

16. The Attack • Shortly after 7a.m. on Dec. 7, 1941, an American radio operator on Oahu noticed a large blip on his radar screen • The officer in charge believed they were American & said to ignore them

17. Less than 1 hour later, 180 Japanese planes attacked • Half of the Pacific Fleet was anchored at Pearl • By 9:45 the attack was over • 2,400 Americans were killed & 1,200 wounded

18. 200 warships were damaged or destroyed • 18 sunk or heavily damaged • 8 of the 9 battleships • Japan lost 29 planes

19. US Declares War • “A date which will live in infamy…” • Dec. 8- FDR asked for a declaration of war on Japan • Only one member voted against • Dec. 11- Germany & Italy declared war on the US