America Enters WWII
FDR Supports England Neutrality Act of 1939 – Public opinion strongly supported him – Warring nations could buy weapons Cash and carry – Destroyers for Bases Deal Old ships for the right to build bases Loophole
Isolationist Debate Shift in opinion – 1940 Fight for Freedom Committee – Immediate declaration of war on Germany Committee to Defend America – Aid but no armed intervention America First Committee – Opposed any aid or intervention 1940 – FDR elected president for a 3 rd term – Campaigned between neutrality and intervention
Edging Toward War Lend-Lease Act (1940) – A way to remove the cash requirement – “vital to the defense of the U.S.” – “the arsenal of democracy” – Soviet Union Hitler disregarded the Nazi-Soviet Pact Hemispheric Defense Zone – U.S. Navy would patrol the western Atlantic and reveal the location of German subs Atlantic Charter (August 1940) – Committed the two leaders to postwar democracy, non aggression, free trade, and freedom of the seas – FDR looking for a reason Reuben James
America Embargoes Japan FDR wanted to weaken Japan – Restricted strategic materials to Japan 80% of Japan’s oil came from the U.S Congress passed the Export Control Act – Japan allied itself with Germany & Italy Lend-Lease aid to China – FDR froze Japanese assets – Force Japan out of China – Japanese negotiate, but prepare for war
Japan Attacks U.S. failure to collect sufficient data
US enters the War After the attacks on Pearl Harbor, FDR asked congress to declare war on Japan – Near unanimous vote sent us to war – Germany then declares war on US Similarities between Pearl Harbor and 9/11
Assignment Create a Newspaper Front page about the day after Pearl Harbor Must have – Headline – Picture – Description – Color