Notes 2: Appeasement and Isolationism –

Events Leading to WWII

Modern US History

Unit 2-3 WWII

April 2, 2010

Appeasement in Europe• As the strength and power of the Nazis grew in

Germany, Hitler began plans to carry out his 3 main goals. In November 1937, Hitler met in secret with his top military advisors. He informed them about his plan to expand the lebensraum, or living space, for the German people. One of his advisors protested this idea and said it would lead to war. Hitler replied, “’The German Question’ can be solved only by means of force, and this is never without risk.”

Appeasement in Europe

• Hitler’s first move was to unite with the small country of Austria, which had 6 million German people who favored the unification with Germany. On March 12, 1938, Hitler marched unopposed into Austria and a day later the union was complete. Much of Austria had wanted to merge with Germany, but that would not be so for Hitler’s other targets.

The Austrian Anschluss, 1938

Appeasement in Europe

• Next was Czechoslovakia, which had approximately 3 million German-speaking people living in the western border region – known as the Sudetenland. Germany spread rumors that the Czechs were mistreating the Sudeten Germans, and Hitler began massing troops on the Czech border. Early in these maneuvers, France and Great Britain promised to protect Czechoslovakia.

Appeasement in Europe

• When it seemed like they might have to follow through on this, Hitler invited the prime ministers of France and England to meet with him in Munich. Hitler informed them that the annexation of the Sudetenland would be his last territorial demand. In an attempt to avoid war, Great Britain, France, and Germany signed the Munich Agreement on September 30, 1938 – this gave the Sudetenland to Germany without a single shot being fired.

Now we have “peace in our time!” Herr Hitler is a man we can do business with.

Now we have “peace in our time!” Herr Hitler is a man we can do business with.

British Prime Minister Neville ChamberlainBritish Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain

Appeasement: The Munich Agreement, 1938

The “Problem” of theSudetenland

Appeasement in Europe

• Great Britain and France (along with other European countries) were following a policy known as appeasement: giving up principles to pacify an aggressor. They felt that if they turned a blind eye to Hitler’s annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland, that they could then insure peace.

2-3 Clip 3 Nazi Annexation of the Sudetenland

Isolationism in America

• After WWI, America did not want to get involved in another world conflict. Along with 62 other countries, the US signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact, which stated that war would not be used “as an instrument of national policy.” The problem with this Pact is that it did not have any way to deal with any country that broke with the agreement.

Isolationism in America

• During the early 1930’s, mass sentiment in America turned against war, even America’s previous actions in WWI. Books were published that blamed the WWI on arms brokers and bankers; the books accused these people of forcing America into WWI for profit. Antiwar feelings became so strong during this time that the Girl Scouts of America changed their uniforms from khaki to green to appear less militaristic.

Charles LindberghCharles Lindbergh

America-First Committee

Isolationism in America

• In an effort to keep America out of future wars, Congress passed a series of Neutrality Acts beginning in 1935. These acts outlawed arms sales or loans to nations at war or in a civil war. America’s move away from involvement in world affairs is known as isolationism.

U. S. Neutrality Acts:1934, 1935, 1937, 1939

Isolationism in America• The Neutrality Acts caused a problem for America

when Japan launched a new attack on China in July of 1937. In an effort to help China, Roosevelt found a way around the Neutrality Acts – he pointed out that Japan had never officially declared war and therefore the US was allowed to sell arms to China. Obviously this did not make the Japanese happy with America. Next, Roosevelt asked that peace-loving nations “quarantine” or isolate aggressor nations to stop the spread of war. Isolationist American newspapers immediately spoke out against the President’s interest in world affairs.

Hitler Begins World War II

• Even though he had promised to stop, Hitler was not done with his plans to expand Germany. On March 15, 1939, Hitler took over the rest of Czechoslovakia.

Hitler Begins World War II

• Next, Hitler turned his eyes to Poland on Germany’s eastern border. To avoid a conflict with the Soviet Union, Poland’s other neighbor, Hitler and Stalin signed a nonaggression pact. This nonaggression pact stated that Germany and the USSR would never attack each other, and they would split Poland between themselves.

Foreign Ministers Foreign Ministers von Ribbentrop & Molotovvon Ribbentrop & Molotov

The Nazi-SovietNon-Aggression Pact, 1939

Hitler Begins World War II

• On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. On September 3, 1939, Great Britain and France finally declared war on Germany. World War II had begun.

German Troops March into Warsaw

The Invasion of Poland - Map

Roosevelt Moves Away From Neutrality

• Once war began in Europe, Roosevelt persuaded Congress to revise the Neutrality Acts. In September of 1939, Congress passed the Neutrality Act of 1939, which allowed the US to sell arms to countries that would pay cash and transport the weapons themselves – this was known as “cash and carry.” Roosevelt maintained that helping England and France to defeat Hitler would keep America out of war.

Roosevelt Moves Away From Neutrality

• Much to America’s dismay, France fell to Germany by the summer of 1940 and Germany, Italy, and Japan signed a mutual defense treaty in September of 1940. This was known as the Tripartite Pact and these three nations became known as the Axis Powers. This was a huge problem to America because if the US became involved in the war, it would fight in both the Atlantic and the Pacific.

Roosevelt Moves Away From Neutrality

• As Roosevelt wanted to avoid this situation, he quickly sent 500,000 rifles and 80,000 machine guns to Britain. He also traded 50 old destroyers for leases on British military bases in the Caribbean and Newfoundland. Now that America was thoroughly worried, Congress boosted defense spending and instituted the nation’s first peacetime draft. Roosevelt gave up the tradition of only running for two terms and ran for his third; he won with 55% of the votes.

Roosevelt Moves Away From Neutrality

• After his reelection, Roosevelt informed the people that arming the Allies - those fighting against Germany and the Axis Powers - would be the only way to keep America from being attacked by the Axis. Under this theory, Roosevelt decided to make America the “great arsenal of democracy” – we would provide arms to the Allies.

Roosevelt Moves Away From Neutrality

• England ran out of money to buy arms by the end of 1940 though. Roosevelt came up with a new plan to help: the lend-lease policy. Under this plan, America would lend or lease arms and other supplies to any country whose defense was vital to the United States. Roosevelt explained this to the nation by saying that anyone would lend a hose to a neighbor whose house was on fire to prevent their own house from catching fire. This seemed to work as Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act in March 1941.

Roosevelt Moves Away From Neutrality

• Great Britain was not the only country to benefit from the Lend-Lease Agreement; Hitler had broken his agreement with Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941 (Hitler’s biggest strategic mistake). America began sending supplies to the USSR as well.

Great Britain.........................$31 billionSoviet Union...........................$11 billionFrance......................................$ 3 billionChina.......................................$1.5 billionOther European.................$500 millionSouth America...................$400 million

The amount totaled: $48,601,365,000

Great Britain.........................$31 billionSoviet Union...........................$11 billionFrance......................................$ 3 billionChina.......................................$1.5 billionOther European.................$500 millionSouth America...................$400 million

The amount totaled: $48,601,365,000

U. S. Lend-Lease Act,1941

Roosevelt Moves Away From Neutrality• One of the largest problems that

America had was actually getting the supplies to the Allies. The Germans had developed a strategy for their submarines known as “wolf packs”. Groups of approximately 40 submarines would patrol shipping lines in the North Atlantic and attack the under-guarded convoys. The wolf packs destroyed 350,000 tons of shipments in a single month.

Roosevelt Moves Away From Neutrality

• In June 1941, Roosevelt gave the navy permission for US warships to attack German U-Boats in self-defense. Later in September of 1941, a German submarine fired on the US Destroyer Greer. This caused Roosevelt to order the navy to shoot German submarines on sight. By this point America was unofficially engaged in a naval war with Germany.

2-3 Clip 4 Lend Lease