WWII

From Isolationism

To

Total War

American IsolationismAmerican Isolationism5 Isolationists like Isolationists like

Senator Lodge, Senator Lodge, refused to allow the refused to allow the US to sign the US to sign the Versailles Treaty.Versailles Treaty.

5 Security treaty with Security treaty with France also rejected France also rejected by the Senate.by the Senate.

5 July, 1921 July, 1921 Congress Congress passed a resolution passed a resolution declaring WW I declaring WW I officially over!officially over!

•Sen. Henry Cabot Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge, Sr. [R-MA]Lodge, Sr. [R-MA]

Washington Disarmament Washington Disarmament ConferenceConference(1921-1922)(1921-1922)

5 Long-standing Anglo-Japanese alliance (1902) obligated Long-standing Anglo-Japanese alliance (1902) obligated Britain to aid Japan in the event of a Japanese war with Britain to aid Japan in the event of a Japanese war with the United States.the United States.

5 Goals Goals naval disarmament and the political situation in naval disarmament and the political situation in the the Far East. Far East.

Five-Power Treaty Five-Power Treaty (1922)(1922)5 A battleship ratio was achieved through this ratio:A battleship ratio was achieved through this ratio:

US Britain Japan France US Britain Japan France ItalyItaly 5 5 3 1.67 5 5 3 1.67 1.671.67

5 Japan got a guarantee that the US and Britain Japan got a guarantee that the US and Britain would stop fortifying their Far East territories would stop fortifying their Far East territories [including the Philippines].[including the Philippines].

5 LoopholeLoophole no restrictions on small warships no restrictions on small warships

European Debts to the USEuropean Debts to the US

Dawes PlanDawes Plan (1924)(1924)

Young PlanYoung Plan (1930)(1930)

5 For three generations, you’ll have to slave For three generations, you’ll have to slave away!away!

5 $26,350,000,000 to be paid over a period of $26,350,000,000 to be paid over a period of 58½ years.58½ years.

5 By 1931, Hoover declared a debt moratorium.By 1931, Hoover declared a debt moratorium.

Kellogg-Briand Pact Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)(1928)

5 15 nations dedicated to outlawing aggression and 15 nations dedicated to outlawing aggression and war as tools of foreign policy.war as tools of foreign policy.

5 62 nations signed.62 nations signed.

5 ProblemsProblems no means of actual enforcement and no means of actual enforcement and gave gave Americans a false sense of security. Americans a false sense of security.

Foreign Policy

• Cuba – nullification of Platt Amendment• Mexico – Did not intervene in 1938 oil seizure

by Cardenas Gov’t• Economic Diplomacy

– London Economic Conference (1933) - FDR pulled out

– Recognition of USSR – to boost economy– Philippines – Tydings-McDuffie Act (Ind. By 1946)

– Reciprocal Trade Agreements – executive authority to reduce tariffs if other nations would

FP Cont…

• Nationalist Isolation (especially amongst Republicans)

• View of WWI – mistake, Nye Investigations (1934) – greed of bankers was to blame

• Neutrality Acts – bipartisan, 1935-1937– ‘35 = prohibit arms sales to belligerent nations, forbid travel on belligerent ships

– ‘36No loans to belligerents– ‘37No arms to either side in Spanish Civil War

FDR’s “I hate war” Speech (1936)

• Quarantine Speech 1937– Democracies should “quarantine” aggressors

• Preparedness– Neutrality & arms buildup (2/3 increase)

– Isolationists generally accepted as deterrent

Ludlow Amendment (1938)Ludlow Amendment (1938)

5 A proposed A proposed amendment to the amendment to the Constitution that Constitution that called for a national called for a national referendum on any referendum on any declaration of war by declaration of war by Congress.Congress.

5 Introduced several Introduced several times by times by Congressman Ludlow.Congressman Ludlow.

5 Never actually passed.Never actually passed.

•Congressman Louis Congressman Louis LudlowLudlow[D-IN][D-IN]

The War Begins

• U.S. opposed to Hitler but still wanted to stay out

• FDR – British Navy crucial to U.S. security, loosening of neutrality laws

• Cash and Carry 1939 – belligerents could purchase arms if transported in its own ships & paid in cash

• Destroyers-for bases deal 1940• Selective Service Act (1940)

– Registration of men 21-35– Training 1.2 million men

Election of 1940

• FDR v Wendell Willkie – had never run before– Criticized 3rd term, New Deal– Agreed on Defense

• FDR wins 3rd election w/54%

““America First” CommitteeAmerica First” Committee

•Charles LindberghCharles Lindbergh

Arsenal of Democracy

• FDR quote 1940• Four Freedoms Speech (Jan, 1941) – loans to

British for defense– Speech, religion, want, fear

• Lend-Lease Act (March, 1941)– Replaces cash & carry

• Atlantic Charter (August, 1941)– Secret meeting of FDR & Churchill – Goals of peace – self-determination, no terr expansion,

free trade

“Lend-Lease” Act (1941)•Great Britain.........................$31 Great Britain.........................$31 billionbillionSoviet Union...........................$11 Soviet Union...........................$11 billionbillionFrance......................................$ 3 France......................................$ 3 billionbillionChina.......................................$1.5 China.......................................$1.5 billionbillionOther European.................$500 Other European.................$500 millionmillionSouth America...................$400 South America...................$400 millionmillionThe amount totaled: The amount totaled: $48,601,365,000$48,601,365,000

Tension w/Japan

• War against China, expansion into British Burma, Dutch East Indies, French Indochina

• Axis Alliance• U.S. prohibits steel exports, cut off access to oil,

froze credit• Negotiations: U.S. wanted: return to Open Door,

end to Japanese expansion• Japan wanted: end to U.S. embargo on oil

Pearl Harbor

•Admiral Isoroku Admiral Isoroku YamamotoYamamoto

PH – “a date that will live in infamy”

• Dec 7, 1941• 2 hours• 2,400 killed• 1,100 killed on USS Arizona• Surprise attack? • Declaration of War on Dec 8• Germany & Italy declare war on U.S.

Home Front

• War Production Board (WPB)• Office of War Mobilization (OWM)• Cost + system• Gov’t contracts led to booming business > almost

no unemployment by 1944• 2x Axis production• Office of Price Admin. (OPA)

– Price freezes, wage & rent controls, rationing of meat, gas, sugar, tires

Home Front

• Unions – No strike agreement

– Workers angered by wage freezes +big profits

– Smith-Conally Anti-Strike Act > RR takeover by gov’t in ‘44

• Financing the war– Income tax hike

• Automatic deductions begin

– War Bonds

Impact on Society

• Rural to urban for jobs• Midwest to west coast• African Americans - 2nd Great Migration

– wartime industry, continued discrimination as civilians & soldiers, “Double V” for victory slogan, increase in NAACP, CORE founded

• Mexican Americans – 300,000 served, braceros agreement > zoot suit riots

Impact on Society

•Native Americans – many leaved res for jobs in factories or military, code talkers•Japanese Americans – 20,000 served but exec order led to internment > challenged in Korematsu (1944) •Women – 200,000 served (WAC), 5 mill in labor force, Rosie the Riveter•African Americans- Second migration

Propaganda

•

Propaganda

•

Propaganda

•

The Manhattan Project

Robert Oppenheimer

Wartime Conferences

Conferences

• Yalta (Feb, 1945) – postwar conditions, free elections, denazification, USSR to join UN, – Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt

• Potsdam (July/August, 1945) – demilitarization, denazification, democracy, prosecution of war criminals >>> Nuremburg Trials– Stalin, Churchill, Truman

Citations

• Slides 2-8, 11, 13, 17, 19, 22, 23

courtesy of Susan M Pojer

Horace Greeley High School

Chappaqua, NY