1. America Moves Towards War
Axis Power
Lend Lease
Atlantic Charter
Allies
Hideki Tojo
1940 Election
Pearl Harbor

2. FDR’s Support for the War
Roosevelt was willing to help France and England
The country wanted to stay isolated
FDR created a “cash and carry program”
We would sell arms but only if they paid in cash and picked them up themselves (1939)

3. Axis Powers Tripartite Treaty U.S. began building defenses
Germany, Italy, and Japan
If war was declared by U.S. it would face a two ocean war.
U.S. began building defenses
1940 Selective Service Act
16 million men age registered
Drafted 1 million men at a time for 1 year at a time
Poor Army, fat and untrained

4. Election of 1940 FDR ran for a third term Ran against Wendell Wilkie
Refused to actually say he was a candidate until he was nominated
Ran against Wendell Wilkie
FDR won with 55% of the vote
Led FDR to strengthen aid to Europe

5. Lend Lease
FDR would lend European allies supplies that would either be returned at the end of the war or replaced.
Saw this as lending a garden hose to a neighbor if his house was burning
Roosevelt believed that, given the chance, Hitler would attack US
Saw this as a measure to try and defeat Hitler

6. Lend Lease cont. FDR wanted the US to be the “Arsenal of Democracy”
Also gave aid to Soviets
Hitler invaded USSR in1941 ending the N-A pact of ’39
“If Hitler invaded Hell, the British would be prepared to work with the devil himself”
-Winston Churchill

7. Atlantic Charter Atlantic Charter Dec. of UN signed by 26 nations
Agreement between FDR and Churchill became the basis for “A Declaration of the United Nations” (Essentially created the Allies)
Dec. of UN signed by 26 nations

8. FDR at home FDR was keeping the US war prepared on a shoestring
Extension of the draft barely passed the house
Couldn’t ask for a dec. of war but wasn’t doing anything to prevent one
There had been some naval confrontations between U-boats and US ships

9. What about Japan? Most of the focus was on Hitler
French, Dutch, and British were fighting for their homeland
Left pacific colonies unprotected
Japan began expanding into East Asia
1937 Japan invaded Manchuria in China
1941 invaded French Indochina (Vietnam)
U.S. protested invasions by cutting off oil to Japan

10. Tojo Japan was ruled by Emperor Hirohito
Hideki Tojo was the Army Chief of Staff
Held most of the power
Peace talks began between US and Japan in 1941 but broke down

11. Pearl Harbor November 1941, Tojo told Navy to prepare for attack
U.S. had broken Japanese code and knew an attack was planned
Expected it last week of November
December 6, Japanese ambassador told to reject any US peace plan

12. Pearl Harbor cont. US sent warnings to Pacific bases:
Philippines
Panama Canal
Pearl Harbor
Attack came at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, am
Battleships were lined up perfectly to be destroyed by bombs and torpedoes

13. Pearl Harbor cont. 180 planes from 6 carriers
Less than 2 hrs. 2,403 Americans were wounded 1,178 killed
Larger scale damage than the navy incurred in all of WWI

14. WAR!! FDR asked Congress for a declaration of war on Dec. 8
Called Dec. 7th “A day of infamy”
Germany, honoring the Tripartite Pact of 1941, declared war on US Dec. 11, 1941

15. New Kind of War Past battles had focused on using battleships
Most were destroyed at PH
Aircraft carriers had pulled out of PH prior to the attack
Dawn of depending on navel airplanes
“I fear all we have done is awoken a sleeping giant and filled it with a terrible resolve”
-Admiral Yamamoto