The Sleeping Giant

U.S. Enters the War

“Not our Problem”• Isolationism• 1930’s Neutrality Acts

– forbade sale of weapons and loans to countries at war.

• FDR’s Lend-Lease ActWhat do you think? Should

we not be able to sell guns or give loans to countries at war? What about goods like fuel, steel, airplane parts?

Unprepared

• 50% of U.S. homes didn’t have running water.• Coming out of the Great Depression• U.S. army is tiny, outdated, and untrained.

Pearl Harbor

• U.S. cut Japan’s oil supply and was giving money to China.

• Admiral Yamamoto is the mastermind behind the attack. – Predicted Japan couldn’t win a long war w/ U.S.

only chance was to destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet in one blow.

Pearl Harbor (Cont.)

• “Dec. 7th 1941, a date that will live in infamy…”• Japan launches surprise attack on U.S. Pacific

fleet at Pearl Harbor.• Main goal: Destroy U.S. aircraft carriers and

battleships.• 2,386 Americans were killed,18 ships were

destroyed, including 8 battleships.

Failure

• U.S. carriers not there.• Don’t destroy fuel depots or repair facilities.– All but 3 battleships repaired.

Selective Service Act

• Sept. 1940 • All men 21-36 required to sign up.• Raised army to 500,000.

How do you feel about the draft? Do you agree with it? Of those 21-36 who do you think should be exempt?