The document summarizes key events in Europe and Asia in the 1930s leading up to World War 2, and the evolving US response from isolationism to increased involvement. It describes how Roosevelt pulled out of the failed London Conference in 1933, weakening international cooperation. Fascist regimes rose in Germany, Italy and Japan in the 1930s, pursuing aggressive expansionism. The US passed Neutrality Acts aiming to stay out of conflicts but which had the effect of aiding the fascists. Germany remilitarized, invaded Austria and Czechoslovakia despite appeasement. Japan invaded China, and the USSR signed a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany. World War 2 began with the German invasion of Poland in 1939. The US moved

1. FRANKLIN D.
ROOSEVELT AND THE
SHADOW OF WAR—
1933-1941
Chapter 34

2. The London Conference
 Roosevelt’s willing to be an isolationist if it would
help the domestic economy.
 66 nations meet. Purpose and primary goal
 Roosevelt pulls out. Why?
 Roosevelt pulls the rug out from underneath the
conference and nothing is accomplished
 Results:
 World depression gets worse and everyone pursues
their own policies.
 Leads to an increase in nationalism.
 Reduces chances for international cooperation on
other issues

3. Philippines and Russia
 Why was US ready to give up the Philippines?
 Tydings-McDuffie Act in 1934—Provided for
the independence of the Philippines after a
twelve-year period of economic tutelage.
 Gave up army bases, but keep Naval bases
 1933 US recognized the Bolshevik regime in
USSR.
 Why?
 Anticommunists and Catholics objected.

4. Becoming A Good Neighbor
 Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor
Policy
 Impact in Latin America.
 Reasons were somewhat
selfish.
 Policy receives a test in 1938
when Mexicans seize
American oil properties.
 Policy was a great success

5. Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act (1934)
 Secretary of State Cordell Hull.
 Aimed at both relief and
recovery.
 Provision.
 Whittled down the worst parts
of Hawley-Smoot.
 President had authority without
consulting Congress.
Benefits?
 Rationale for Act ?
 Get agreements with 21
countries

6. Failures of WW1 Peace
Settlement
Treaty of Versailles:
anger and resentment over terms
Germany at Fault
Stripped of land and
Colonies
New government –
Weimar Republic
No Military
War Reparations

7. Rise of Hitler in Germany
 Germans economically crushed
by Versailles treaty. Desperate
and resentful
 Hitler a powerful orator and
politically aggressive
 Germany has a potent
industrial base and
technological talent.
 US made things worse by
refusing to ratify the league of
nations, thus eliminating the
moral strength of that body.

8. Nazis Take over Germany
Adolf Hitler WW1 vet,
sent to jail for treason writes Mein
Kampf
Nazism
Extreme Nationalism all
German speaking people should
be united
Racial Purification
Expansion of empire
Depression leads to
Nazi party rallies.Brown Shirts or
storm troopers
1932—1933 elected
Chancellor-dismantles democracy
Third Reich would last 1000 years

9. Joseph Stalin, man of steel,
transforms Soviet Union
command economy-
industrial and agricultural growth #1
priority
five year plan: all economic
activity controlled by the state
1937 # 2 economic power
8-11 million direct deaths
millions more died from famine
Totalitarian state

10. The Rise of Fascism in Italy
Benito Mussolin
Italy in depression
Fascist; nationalism and
state stressed
“Il Duce” crushes
opposition 1922 takes control

11. Militarist Gain Control of
Japan
Imperialism for
natural resources invade
China 1931
League of Nations
does nothing

12. Japan and Italy
 Japan also a growing threat.
 Resentful. Why?
 Growing increasingly militaristic
 Lusted after space and resources of
neighbors. Why?
 1934 terminated the naval Treaty and
started aggressively building navy.
American response?
 1935 Mussolini attacks Ethiopia.
Easily crushes it.
 Seeking glory and empire for Italy in
Africa
 League of Nation reaction? Reason?

13. Japan seizes Korea and much of
Manchuria in 1905, after defeating
Russia in the Russo-Japanese War.
In 1931, Japan invades and claims
the rest of Manchuria
Aggression in Asia, Europe and
Africa Europe and Asia.
Europe notices League of
Nations lack of Response
1935 Germany with draws
from League of Nations and
violates T of Ver.
Reoccupies lost
Rhineland
Mussolini takes Ethiopia
1935-36

14. “come on in. I’ll treat you right. I used to
know your daddy
The United States
Responds Cautiously
Two Views on
clinging to
Isolationism

15. Isolationism
 Why didn’t America Act?
 Distracted by the depression
 Vividly recall the losses of
WWI
 feel safe behind the protection
of two oceans,
 largely believed that what
happened in the rest of the
world didn’t effect them.
 Rise of fascists increased
desire to avoid
entanglement..
 Johnson Debt Default Act.
Better Keep to the Old Channel

16. Congress Legislates Neutrality
 Who does the public
now blame for WWI?
 Congress passes
Neutrality Acts in
1935, 36 and ’37
 Basic Rule?

17. Effect of Neutrality Acts
 Is an abandonment of Americas traditional policy
of freedom of the high seas and the right of
Americans to ship to both sides in a war.
 Effectively removed America from the arena as
an agent that can stop or blunt war and
aggression. Made America reactive and at the
mercy of world events.
 Encouraged totalitarian regimes and hurt
democratic ones, because they received no aid
from US.

18. America Dooms Loyalist Spain
 The Spanish Civil War (1936-39)
shows fallacy of Neutrality policy
 Franco and other fascist rebels tried
to overthrow the left-leaning but
democratic government of Spain.
Franco is aided by Hitler and
Mussolini.
 Congress prohibits aid to EITHER
side.
 Condemns democratic Spain to slow
strangulation
 Dictators believe that Democracies
will not take action to stop them.

19. Francisco Franco leads
Fascist revolt in Spain
private individuals
react to try and stop Franco
Western powers
remain “neutral
Hitler/Mussolini back
Franco; create friendship
1939 Franco wins

20. Fascist ALLIANCE is formed Rome-
Berlin alliance

21. Whittling Down the Big Stick
 State of American military compared to
Germany and Japan.
 Americans attitude toward navy.
 Effect of depression
 Reaction to FDR’s call for increased
military preparedness

22. Appeasing Japan
 1937 Japan invades Manchuria with the
intent of making it a Japanese colony.
Why?
 Roosevelt refuses to call this a war.
Why?
 Fall 1937 Roosevelt makes famous
Quarantine Speech
 What does he call for?
 How does Congress and Country react.
 Dec. 1937, USS Panay.
 Japan abuses Americans in China.
Thinks US wimpy

23. Hitler on the Rise
 1935 breaches Versailles treaty by reintroducing the
draft.
 1936 marches troops into the demilitarized Rhineland
 Britain and France reaction.
 Hitler begins to persecute and discriminate against the
Jews.
 1937 starts building the military at an aggressive pace,
 March 1938 Hitler marches without resistance into
Austria
 Hitler then begins making demands for the Sudetenland

24. War In Europe Austria and Czechoslovakia Fall
Union with Austria
March 1938

25. Munich Conference
 Allies desperate to avoid
war.
 Munich Conference 9/38
 Democracies have no real
leverage. Appeasement
 Germany gets
Sudetenland. What does
it promise?
 Neville Chamberlain:
“Peace in our time”

26. Bargaining for the
Sudetenland
Nazi's use propaganda to stir
up Germany
France and Great Britain pledge
support for Czech.
France and G.B meet with
Hitler in Munich Germany.
Appease Hitler
Peace in our time declared
by Chamberlain. Angers
Winston Churchill

27. Hitler-Stalin Pact
 France-England attempt to negotiate a
mutual defense pact with Stalin.
 Why don’t they get one?
 August, 1939, Stalin-Hitler sign a non-
aggression pact.
 Stalin’s motive?
 Seals the fate of Europe.
 Poland.
 Hitler’s demand on Poland.

28. WWII Begins
 Poland refuses and
Germany marches in
unleashing its Blitzkrieg
9/1/39.
 WWI has begun.
 Stalin moves into Eastern
Poland
 England and France
declare war, but can’t do
much about Poland,
which surrenders in three
weeks.

29. Non-Aggression Pact

30. Poland's fate is sealed! Blitzkrieg in Poland
Sept. 1st
September 3rd
1939 WW2
starts. France and Britain
declare war on Germany
Use fast overwhelming force, 3
weeks Poland is done. (U.S.S.R
also attacks Poland ; takes the Baltic
States and Finland in the next few
months)

31. US Reaction to Fall of Poland
 Roosevelt issues proclamation of
hostilities. Consequences?
 US attitude toward war.
 Roosevelt wants to amend Neutrality Acts
 Knows that European democracies are
woefully unprepared and will not win on their
own.
 Wants to lift the arms-sale restrictions entirely.
 But, knows that neither the nation nor
Congress is ready for that.

32. The United States Sleeps
while the Phony War
goes on for several
months

33. Cash and Carry
 FDR calls a special session of Congress;
passes Neutrality Act of 1939
 Cash-and-Carry
 Selling point of Cash and Carry?
 Purchases from England and France help
lift US economy

35. Hitler Runs Amok
 April 1940 Hitler attacks Denmark and Norway.
 May attacks Netherlands and Belgium, then
France.
 June 1940 France is forced to surrender
 Miracle of Dunkirk
 Very significant because saves a huge chunk of
British army.
 US shocked by quick fall of France
 Impact on public attitude
 Threat to US of German domination Europe

37. US Starts to Arm
 FDR calls for building of huge air fleet and a two-
ocean navy that would check both Germany and
Japan.
 Congress approves 37 Billion
 More than the cost of WWI and 5-times larger than
any annual budget for New Deal.
 Congress passes a conscription law, Sept. 1940.
 America’s first peace-time draft.
 Havana Conference of 1940

39. “We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on
to the end. We shall fight in France, we
shall fight on the seas and the oceans,
we shall fight with growing confidence
and growing strength in the air, we shall
defend our island, whatever the cost
may be.
We shall fight on the
beaches, we shall fight on
the landing grounds, we
shall fight in the fields and
in the streets, we shall fight
in the hills; we shall
never surrender.”
Winston Churchill, the new prime minister
summed up the British attitude:

40. Battle of Britain
 August 1940 Battle of
Britain begins
 Battle rages for
months.
 German advantages
 British advantages.
 British planes chew
up Luftwaffe

45. Battle of Britain in US
 Edward R. Murrow.
 Impact of radio reports on
Battle of Britain on US
public opinion.
 Hitler eventually indefinitely
postpones invasion—huge
mistake.

46. Fortress America?
 Issue: Whether to
provide scarce resources
to GB or to husband all
resources so that
available to US
 What do supporters of aid
argue?
 What do those against
aid argue?
 America First
Committee.

47. Destroyer Deal
 British in desperate need of destroyers.
Why?
 Destroyer Deal. Details
 Isolationists scream
 Is a clear departure from neutrality
 But public opinion supported all aid to GB
short of war.

48. Wilkie?
 In 1940 Republicans
nominate Wendell Wilkie.
Why such a surprise?
 Background.
 Personality
 Attitude toward New Deal
 foreign policy.
 Wilkie does not exploit
resentment against FDR
among isolationists

49. FDR Three-peat
 FDR keeps the country in suspense, but
decides to run for a third term.
 FDR pledges that “Your boys are not
going to be sent into any foreign wars.”
 FDR wins easily, but not as triumphantly
as the first two times.
 FDR might not have won if not for war.
Also might not have run.

52. Lend-Lease
 By late 1940 Cash and Carry not
working for Britain. Why?
 FDR knows that Congress will not
approve cash loans to allies.
 Proposes Lend-lease. How does it
work?
 FDR proposes making the US the
arsenal of democracy.
 This bill is vigorously debated
throughout the nation.
 Passes in March, 1941. Was a clear
declaration of hostility to Hitler.
 May, 1941 Germans sink first US
merchant ship

54. Atlantic Charter
 June 1941 Hitler invades the Soviet Union and
opens up a second front in his rear.
 Takes the pressure off GB and divides his army.
 What is he thinking?
 Soviets are on the edge of defeat.
 Roosevelt extends lend-Lease to Soviets. Extends 1
Bill. of what will eventually be 11 Billion.
 Atlantic Conference-8/41. First of a series of
meetings between Churchill and Roosevelt.

56. Atlantic Charter
 Leads to 8-point plan for
post-war world. Atlantic
Charter. Similar to
Wilson’s 14 points
 Pledges that countries will
not have borders changed
 Self determination and
return to pre-war
governments
 League of nations type
organization.

57. U.S. Destroyers And Hitler’s U-boats
 Lend-Lease to GB was faltering. Why?
 FDR response.
 Clashes with Subs—
 9/41—Greer attacked without damage
 10/41—Kearny attacked but not sunk
 10/41—Reuben James sunk with loss of more
than 100.
 Congress pulls Neutrality legislation and
authorizes the arming of Merchant ships.

58. In the meantime……out in the Pacific
 Japan is mired in China. US is pressuring them to get
out,
 Japan is heavily dependent on US steel, oil, gasoline
and other war supplies. If US cuts them off, Japan is
toast.
 FDR reluctant to impose sanctions. Why?
 Late 1940 US does impose sanctions.
 1941 freeze Japanese assets and ends all oil shipments.
 Japan’s choices
 US has broken code and knows that Japan plans to
attack somewhere.
 Warnings from US to Pearl Harbor are late in arriving.

60. Pearl Harbor
 December 7, 1941 Japanese aircraft carriers
launch waves of attack planes. Destroy most of
US Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor.
 8 battleships, most of aircraft, 3000 casualties.
 But, three US carriers were out to sea and were
spared.
 Japanese failed to destroy repair facilities, allowing
US to stay at Pearl and repair the fleet. Big mistake.
 Next day—Congress declares war.
 Japan and Germany are allies—Germany and
Italy then declare war on US. U.S. declares war
on Germany. We are in.

62. December 7th
1941

64. F.D.R. Dec.8th
speech “ A Day that will live in Infamy”

65. FDR Signs Declaration of War