Ch. 34 NotesFDR and the Shadow of War

The London Economic Conference

1. In 1933, sixty-six countries met in London to discuss the depression – their main goal was to stabilize the various currencies of the world in order to restore world trade.

2. While the U.S. was supposed to attend, FDR eventually decided not to, fearing an international agreement to stabilize the dollar could hurt the economic recovery of the U.S.

3. FDR’s “every man for himself” attitude helped make the depression worse and more importantly help lead to the extreme nationalism that played into the rise of fascism in Europe.

Rise of Totalitarianism

1. For many European nations, the end of WWI was the beginning of revolutions at home, economic depression and the rise of powerful dictators driven by nationalism and territorial expansionism.

2. The Treaty of Versailles failed to provide a “just and secure peace” and left many nations with bitter resentments and others politically and economically overwhelmed.

Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union

1. Vladimir Lenin died in 1924 and Joseph Stalin assumed control of the Soviet Union.

2. Using his 5 Year Plans, he transformed the Soviet Union from a rural nation into a major industrial power by placing all economic activity under strict government control – and killing anyone who opposed him (estimated he killed around 20 million either through execution, work camps of starvation).

Benito Mussolini and Italy

1. In 1921, Benito Mussolini formed the Fascist Party in Italy.

2. The Fascist Party stressed nationalism and militarism and placed the interests of the state over the interests of the individual.

3. By 1922, Mussolini had control of Italy and used his Blackshirts to keep control.

Adolf Hitler and Germany1. In 1919 Adolf Hitler joined the

Nazi Party and quickly rose up its ranks because of his oratory skills.

2. Calling himself “Der Fuhrer”, he promised to return Germany to its days of glory.

3. By 1932 the Nazi Party was the strongest political party in Germany and in 1933 Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany – from there he seized power and created a totalitarian government.

Hirohito and Japan

1. Emperor Hirohito governed Japan from 1926 – 1989.

2. During that time Japan is going to be very imperialistic – he governs an island nation in need of resources if they’re going to be a world power.

3. He will attack China in 1931 (Manchuria) and dream of dominating the Pacific – to do that, the U.S. is his biggest threat.

FDR’s Foreign Policy

1. The U.S. will be in an isolationist phase after WWI and the Great Depression will make it even worse.

2. FDR will officially recognize the USSR in 1933 – this will give the U.S. a diplomatic ally against the rising power of Germany and Italy and more importantly another trading partner.

3. In 1934 Congress will pass the Tydings-McDuffie Act to grant the Philippines their independence (within 12 years), mainly because the islands were an economic liability.

4. FDR will also institute the Good Neighbor Policy in regard to Latin America – no more armed intervention in Latin America – its cheaper and it will enlist the Latin American countries in defending against the dictators of the world.

U.S. Attitude Towards the Rise of Totalitarianism

1. By 1934, the U.S. still favors isolationism and is more concerned with rebuilding the economy than stopping the rise of totalitarian governments in Europe (or Asia).

2. Congress is going to pass the Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act, which increased U.S. foreign trade by lowering the tariffs on imports from countries that also agreed to lower their tariffs (21 countries will do so by 1939).

European Aggression

1. In 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia.2. The U.S. responds by passing the Neutrality Act of

1935, which outlawed the sale of arms or loans to nations at war.

3. In March of 1936, Germany invaded the Rhineland (a German region bordering France and Belgium that was demilitarized by the Treaty of Versailles).

4. In October of 1936, Hitler and Mussolini formed the Rome-Berlin Axis (Axis Powers – Japan will later join in 1940).

The Spanish Civil War

1. In July of 1936, General Francisco Franco will stage a coup in France.

2. Hitler and Mussolini will come to the aid of Franco while the Soviet Union will add the Spanish Republic.

3. The U.S. refuses to get involved – we will amend the Neutrality Act to apply to nations involved in a civil war.

4. Franco will win the civil war in 1939 (the civil war drew Hitler and Mussolini closer together and also allowed Hitler to try out his new air force, the Luftwaffe.

The Neutrality Acts

1. The Neutrality Acts (actually three separate ones were passed in 1935, 1936 and 1937) resulted in:

1. the U.S.’s abandonment of its traditional policy of freedom of the seas.

2. a decline in the armed forces of the U.S.3. the inability of the U.S. to distinguish between

aggressor nations and victims – we wouldn’t trade with either.

4. the spurring of aggressors along their paths of conquest – they knew the U.S. wouldn’t do anything.

Japanese Aggression

1. In 1937, Japan renewed their attacks in China.2. In response, FDR sent arms and supplies to China –

he got around the Neutrality Acts because Japan hadn’t actually declared war on China.

3. However, we also continue to trade with Japan.4. In Chicago, FDR makes his Quarantine Speech,

calling for economic sanctions against Japan and Italy.

5. Most U.S. citizens were opposed to this idea, believing that economic embargoes would eventually lead to war.

Hitler Advances

1. In March of 1938, Hitler sends troops into Austria – they will be welcomed in with open arms.

2. Hitler then begins building up his troops on the eastern border of Czechoslovakia – the Sudetenland is home to 3 million German-speaking people.

3. In September of 1938, Hitler invites the French and British Prime Ministers to meet with him in Germany – they sign the Munich Agreement – Hitler gets the Sudetenland and in return he agrees to leave the rest of Czechoslovakia alone.

4. This policy was known as appeasement and most people favored it, believing it would bring peace.

5. It didn’t work – in March of 1939 later Hitler took the rest of Czechoslovakia.

The Munich Conference

Poland

1. Hitler then began building up troops on the western border of Poland.

2. Most countries didn’t believe Hitler would attack Poland because it would bring the Soviet Union into the war.

3. But in August of 1939, Hitler and Stalin signed the Non-Aggression Pact – they vow never to attack the other and agree to split Poland between them.

4. Hitler then rolls into Poland in September of 1939, using his strategy known as the blitzkrieg, or “lightening war”.

The Non-Aggression Pact

WWII Begins

1. After the invasion of Poland, Great Britain and France will declare war on Germany (September 1, 1939).

2. Even as France and Great Britain enter the war, the U.S. still desires to remain neutral – but its not looking good.

The Cash and Carry Policy

1. After France and Great Britain entered the war, Congress passed the Neutrality Act of 1939, which established the cash and carry policy.

2. Under this policy, the European democracies would be able to buy American war materials, but they would have to transport the goods themselves after paying for them in cash.

3. This way, the U.S. would avoid loans, later war debt and possible attack from German U-boats.

4. This policy helped the U.S. economically as well as aided their future allies in their efforts to stop Germany.

The Holocaust1. The Holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored

persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators.

2. The Nuremburg Laws (passed in 1935) put severe restrictions on the rights of Jews living in Germany (and later areas occupied by the Germans).

3. Then, in 1938, the Kristallnacht, or “night of broken glass” occurred, where German mobs ransacked over seven thousand Jewish stores and all of the country’s synagogues – over ninety were killed and about thirty thousand were eventually rounded up and sent to concentration camps.

4. Many Jews began trying to flee Europe.5. In May of 1939, almost a thousand Jews boarded the St. Louis and

attempted to flee to Cuba – they were denied entrance into Cuba, the U.S. and Canada.

6. They returned to Europe and were given asylum in Western Europe – many were captured when the Germans took France and ended up in concentration camps.

The Fall of France

1. By 1940, France had fallen to the Germans and Great Britain was fighting the war by itself.

2. In response, to this, the U.S. passed the Selective Training and Service Act, which was the U.S.’s first ever peacetime draft.

3. FDR also gave the Great Britain fifty U.S. WWI destroyers in exchange for eight defensive base sites in the Western Hemisphere.

4. By this time, the majority of Americans supported the Allies and wanted to provide Great Britain “all aid short of war”.

The Presidential Election of 1940

1. In 1940, the Republicans nominated Wendell Willkie, a charismatic lawyer (and former Democrat) with no political experience.

2. The Democrats nominated FDR for a third term, claiming that the country needed a tried leader during this time of war.

3. In a close race, at least in the popular vote, FDR won an unprecedented third term of office.

FDR and Wendell Willkie

Presidential Election of 1940

The Lend-Lease Act1. By 1940, Great Britain was running out of money and couldn’t afford to pay cash to buy war materials.

2. In response, Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act – this law will eventually provide over $50 billion worth of arms and equipment to those nations fighting aggressor nations.

3. Germany viewed this law as an unofficial declaration of war and German U-boats began attacking U.S. merchant ships and destroyers – Congress will eventually legalize the arming of U.S. merchant ships.

The Atlantic Charter

1. In August of 1941, FDR and Winston Churchill will secretly meet on a warship off the coast of Canada.

2. Both agreed that people had the right to choose their own form of government (self-determination), there should be no territorial changes after the war and that there should be a new League of Nations (United Nations).

3. This meeting is also seen as a kind of “passing of the torch” between Great Britain and the U.S. as the leading nation of the world.

Hitler Invades the Soviet Union

1. In June of 1941, Hitler launched a surprise attack on the Soviet Union – a direct violation of the Non-Aggression Pact.

2. The U.S. immediately broadened the Lend-Lease Act to include the Soviet Union.

The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

1. Japan joined the Axis Powers in June of 1940.2. In response, the U.S. began placing embargoes on Japan,

mainly on war materials.3. The U.S. will also begin seizing Japanese assets in the

U.S.4. The U.S. agreed to lift the embargo in Japan if they

would pull out of China but Japan refused.5. The U.S. knew that Japan was preparing for war with the

U.S. because we had cracked the codes they used to communicate with their diplomats in the U.S. – we just didn’t know where it would occur.

Pearl Harbor 1. On December 7, 1949, the Japanese navy launched a surprise attack on the U.S. fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor.

2. Over 2000 Americans were killed and the U.S. battleship fleet was basically wiped out – fortunately our carriers weren’t at port.

3. The U.S. then declared war on Japan, which caused Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S. – we were now in WWII.