1. “From Isolationism to War”
Chapter 17 Section 4

2. Neutrality Acts
Purpose?
Examples?

3. Neutrality Acts Purpose: Examples:
prevented international involvement through a series of congressional acts
Result and Significance: prevented U.S. from selling arms to nations that were trying to defend themselves from aggression
Examples:
Banned the U.S. from providing weapons to nations at war
Banned loans to nations at war
Cash and Carry- Permitted trade with fighting nations in nonmilitary goods as long as those nations paid cash and transported the cargo themselves

4. Increasing American Involvement
Recovery of economy and increased aggression by Germany and Japan softened Americans’ isolationist views
Revised Neutrality Acts
Repealed arms embargo and provided Britain and France w/weapons needed
Later allowed U.S. to transport these purchases
“All aid short of war”
Fall of France shocked the nation and led to increased support for helping Britain
America First Committee- group of isolationists whose goal was to block further aid to Britain

5. Election of 1940 FDR vs. Wendell Willkie FDR easily wins 3rd term
Both supported giving aid to Allied cause, but disagreed on how much
Willkie said that FDR would plunge the nation into war
FDR said “your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars”
Reality- both men knew that war would be hard to avoid
FDR easily wins 3rd term

6. American Aid Grows
FDR pushes for greater American involvement in the Allied cause
Churchill writes to FDR, “The moment approaches when we shall no longer be able to pay cash for shipping and other supplies
Lend-Lease Act- authorized the President to aid any nation whose defense he believed was vital to American security (provided war supplies w/o payment in return)

7. Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
FDR tries to stop Japans expansion through trade restrictions
Ended sales of scrap iron and steel
Froze Japanese financial assets in U.S.
Cut off all oil shipments
Japan looks to the Dutch East Indies for new supplies of oil
Rise of militant army officer, General Tojo Hideki supported war against the U.S.
U.S. cracks top-secret Japanese code and let U.S. that Japan was planning an attack

8. Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
“a date which will live in infamy”
December 7, 1941
U.S. Declares War