1. Unit 6: America Moves Toward War

2. Leading up to War The U.S. position was isolationism
The Nye Committee (1934) investigated how the U.S. had gotten involved in WWI
Argued that arms manufacturers and bankers influenced the government’s decision to go to war
Most Americans became Isolationists as a result of the findings
Neutrality Acts of 1935
Series of acts banning aid to countries involved in war or civil war

3. Moving away from Neutrality
Neutrality Act of 1939
With war breaking out in Europe FDR persuaded Congress to pass a “cash and carry” provision
Allowed warring nations to buy U.S. arms as long as they paid cash and transported them in their own ships
FDR argued it was good for the defense of the US
1940 conscription: FDR pushes through a peace-time draft of millions of young men
Selective Training and Service Act
First peace-time draft
Response to the fall of France and the Battle of Britain

4. The Axis Threat
1940: Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact
Become the Axis Powers
Pact was designed to keep the U.S. out of war
If one nation was attacked the others would come to its defense
U.S. could not afford a 2-ocean war

5. Lend-Lease Bill: No. 1776 March 1941
Marks the end of neutrality
U.S. would lend old, out of use weaponry to the struggling democracies to aid them against the “enemy”
- Mainly Great Britain & China
Returned upon completion of the war
Huge debate throughout Congress
Isolationists vs. Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies
Hitler viewed lend-lease as an act of war
Begins to deliberately attack U.S. ships
FDR orders the Navy to escort Lend-Lease convoys and attack German U-boats in the Atlantic if necessary

6. FDR plans for War June 22, 1941 FDR extends lend-lease to the USSR
Germany attacks the USSR
FDR extends lend-lease to the USSR
Believed to be necessary to protect the U.S.
Increase in German attacks on U.S. ships headed for Britain and the USSR
Atlantic Charter (August 1941)
Churchill and FDR
Outlined the goal of the war, post-war agreements and became the basis for the United Nations

7. Undeclared Naval War w/Germany
U.S. ships attacked by German u-boats in mid-late 1941
Destroyers and merchant ships
FDR responds by ordering the navy to shoot u-boats on sight
Senate allows for merchant ships to be armed
War was seemingly inevitable, but the final blow would not come from Germany

8. War with Japan Japan’s ambitions in the Pacific
1937 Japan launches an invasion of China
Needed raw materials
Rape of Nanking
U.S. cut off trade with Japan to protest against the aggression
Included oil
Without oil, the Japanese could be defeated

9. *Japan must now decide: retreat from China or go to war with the U.S.*
Peace Talks with Japan
FDR indicated that if Japan retreated from China, then the U.S. would help Japan find access to needed raw materials
Japan did not retreat
Panama Canal closed to Japanese shipping (July 1941)
*Japan must now decide: retreat from China or go to war with the U.S.*

10. November 7-December 7, 1941 Final negotiations: Main problem:
U.S. demanded for Japan to back out of China
Japan wanted the U.S. to lift embargoes on oil and other supplies, while still maintaining their position in China
By December 1, 1941 war between the two countries was inevitable

11. Surprise attack
Washington intercepted encoded messages and knew that the Japanese were going to attack
They did not know when or where
Commanders were notified but not strenuously warned
Feared sabotage more than an actual attack
Entire U.S. Pacific fleet was concentrated at Pearl Harbor
Hawaiian commanders: Admiral Husband E. Kimmel and General Walter C. Short
Airplanes were grouped together to protect against tampering

12. “Day of Infamy” Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941
First wave of Japanese airplanes attacked airfields at 7:50 am then struck the anchored fleet
Second wave followed at 8:50

13. A sleeping giant awakened
U.S. losses:
All but a few airplanes on the island were destroyed
All eight battleships anchored were put out of action, two were sunk
Oklahoma and Arizona
Three cruisers and three destroyers damaged
2,403 casualties
Japan:
29 airplanes; 5 midget submarines
129 casualties

15. Declaration of War
FDR, before joint session of Congress, asked for a declaration of war on Dec. 8th
Congress declares war on Japan
Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S. Dec. 11, 1941
Unofficial war now made official