FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT AND THE SHADOW OF WAR- 1933-1941

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

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:
    ¾   World depression gets worse and everyone pursues
        their own policies.
    ¾   Leads to an increase in nationalism.
    ¾   Reduces chances for international cooperation on
        other issues

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.
    ¾   Gave up army bases, but keep Naval bases
„   1933 US recognized the Bolshevik regime in
    USSR.
    ¾   Why?
    ¾   Anticommunists and Catholics objected.

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

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

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.

Japan and Italy
„   Japan also a growing threat.
    ¾   Resentful. Why?
    ¾   Growing increasingly militaristic
    ¾   Lusted after space and resources of
        neighbors. Why?
    ¾   1934 terminated the naval Treaty and
        started aggressively building navy.
        American response?
„   1935 Mussolini attacks Ethiopia.
    Easily crushes it.
    ¾   Seeking glory and empire for Italy in
        Africa
    ¾   League of Nation reaction? Reason?

Isolationism
                                 „   Why didn’t America Act?
                                     ¾ Distracted by the depression
                                     ¾ Vividly recall the losses of
                                       WWI
                                     ¾ feel safe behind the protection
                                       of two oceans,
                                     ¾ 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

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

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.

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.

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

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
    ¾ What does he call for?
    ¾ How does Congress and Country react.

„   Dec. 1937, USS Panay.
„   Japan abuses Americans in China.
    Thinks US wimpy

Hitler on the Rise
„   1935 breaches Versailles treaty by reintroducing the
    draft.
„   1936 marches troops into the demilitarized Rhineland
    ¾   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

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”

Hitler-Stalin Pact
„   France-England attempt to negotiate a
    mutual defense pact with Stalin.
    ¾ Why   don’t they get one?
„   August, 1939, Stalin-Hitler sign a non-
    aggression pact.
    ¾ Stalin’smotive?
    ¾ Seals the fate of Europe.
    ¾ Poland.

„   Hitler’s demand on Poland.

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.

US Reaction to Fall of Poland

„ Roosevelt issues proclamation of
  hostilities. Consequences?
„ US attitude toward war.
„ Roosevelt wants to amend Neutrality Acts
    ¾ Knows  that European democracies are
      woefully unprepared and will not win on their
      own.
    ¾ Wants to lift the arms-sale restrictions entirely.
    ¾ But, knows that neither the nation nor
      Congress is ready for that.

Cash and Carry

„   FDR calls a special session of Congress;
    passes Neutrality Act of 1939
    ¾ Cash-and-Carry
    ¾ Selling   point of Cash and Carry?
„   Purchases from England and France help
    lift US economy

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
    ¾   Very significant because saves a huge chunk of
        British army.
„   US shocked by quick fall of France
    ¾   Impact on public attitude
    ¾   Threat to US of German domination Europe

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
    ¾   More than the cost of WWI and 5-times larger than
        any annual budget for New Deal.
„   Congress passes a conscription law, Sept. 1940.
    ¾   America’s first peace-time draft.
„   Havana Conference of 1940

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

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.

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.

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.

Wilkie?
„   In 1940 Republicans
    nominate Wendell Wilkie.
    Why such a surprise?
    ¾   Background.
    ¾   Personality
    ¾   Attitude toward New Deal
    ¾   foreign policy.
„   Wilkie does not exploit
    resentment against FDR
    among isolationists

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.

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?
    ¾   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

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.
    ¾   What is he thinking?
„   Soviets are on the edge of defeat.
    ¾   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.

Atlantic Charter
„   Leads to 8-point plan for
    post-war world. Atlantic
    Charter. Similar to
    Wilson’s 14 points
    ¾   Pledges that countries will
        not have borders changed
    ¾   Self determination and
        return to pre-war
        governments
    ¾   League of nations type
        organization.

U.S. Destroyers And Hitler’s U-boats

„ Lend-Lease to GB was faltering. Why?
„ FDR response.
„ Clashes with Subs—
    ¾ 9/41—Greerattacked without damage
    ¾ 10/41—Kearny attacked but not sunk
    ¾ 10/41—Reuben James sunk with loss of more
      than 100.
„   Congress pulls Neutrality legislation and
    authorizes the arming of Merchant ships.

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.

Pearl Harbor
„   December 7, 1941 Japanese aircraft carriers
    launch waves of attack planes. Destroy most of
    US Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor.
    ¾   8 battleships, most of aircraft, 3000 casualties.
    ¾   But, three US carriers were out to sea and were
        spared.
    ¾   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.

FDR Signs Declaration of War