,WW2 Review
Neutrality Act
● 1st 1935 Act:
○ Gave president the power to ban US ships from carrying US made weapons to nations at war
○ Citizens traveled on belligerent ships at their own risk
● 2nd Act 1936 Act:
○ Banned loans and credits to nations at war
○ Materials were not limited, but companies could still sell as long as they got paid
● 3rd Act 1937
○ Cash and carry- countries pay up front AND provide transportation
● 4th Act 1937
○ President could determine what could/couldn’t be sold to nations at war
○ Banned traveling on belligerent ships
○ Sino-japanese war: these acts were not enforced b/c they weren’t considered belligerent nations,
so US continued to supply China (and even Japan)
● 5th Act 1939
○ After Germany takes over Czechoslovakia and fall of poland, 5th act passed
○ Lifts arms embargo, and makes trade with belligerent nations cash and carry
● Lend lease in 1941-
○ After Barbarossa
○ Allows US to loan or lease arms to countries deemed “vital to the defense of the US”
■ France had fallen, and Britain was facing a full air assault by germany (battle of britain).
They needed aid and were out of money, so this was to benefit GB. ( included USSR too)
■ China also benefit facing assault from Japan
■ FDR calls US the “Great arsenal of democracy”
Analysis: FDR can CHOOSE which countries are “belligerent”
Lend lease moved US from neutrality to non belligerency
Before US involvement
● 2nd Sino-Japanese war (1937)
○ Full scale invasion of China by Japan which was observed closely by the Western powers
○ FDR Quarantine speech- metaphor to imply US should help countries attacked by bell. nations
■ Aggression is like an epidemic of physical disease
○ Japanese took capital and Rape of Nanking happened due to an “easy win” , led to war crimes
● US response to this
○ Japan is fueled by the oil from the US, but FDR didn’t change any policies as he was bound to the
neutrality acts and didn’t wanna get involved
○ Openly supported China and even a little financial aid, but didn’t stop trading with Japan
■ FDR uses cash and carry to supply China 25 mill in oil
○ By 1938, US rhetoric against Japan was increasing, however trading policy continued
■ No one knew soviet stance on this
, Analysis: Success of the Japanese military, and fear of a chinese/Soviet alliance was central to heightened
rhetoric and FDR’s push for changing policy. (later became fear of soviet-japan alliance)
● Tripartite pact- September 1940
○ Between Germany Italy and Japan
○ Germany and Italy would dominate europe, Japan would dominate East asia (lebensraum)
○ Japan ignored racist aryan rhetoric
● Japan was able to secure northern border with a neutrality pact w USSR
● By this point the US sent a billion in lend lease to the Soviet Union (to prevent a japan/soviet alliance??)
Analysis: The United states initially didn’t want to be involved because this would create a 2 theater war
● America First Committee
○ Most powerful isolationist group of that era with over 800k members by 1941
○ Argumentative against FDR and had 4 main principles:
■ US must build a strong defense for america
■ No foreign power, nor group of powers, can successfully attack a prepared america
■ American democracy can be preserved only by keeping out of european war
■ “Aid short of war” weakens national defense at home and threatens to involve america in
war abroad (basically saying don't share w other countries cus then we’ll have less stuff)
○ There were pro german and anti semitic people here too so mixed legacy
● Atlantic Conference- August 1941
○ Churchill and FDR met secretly on a ship
○ Response to churchill asking if US will get involved–Roosevelt was non committal, but agreed to
plan the resolution to WW2 if they won- plan called the Atlantic Charter
○ Without even entering war, they basically laid out plans for what they would do after they won.
○ They called for no territorial gains, self determination of govt., more free and open trade.
● 1941- USSR was weak after winter war, operation Barbarossa and Germany takes over Soviet Union
● Embargo of Japan:
○ US was continuing to supply both China and Japan
○ BUT japan was trying to invade indo-china, infringing on the Allies colonies, and they were
unable to focus on it because of war in Europe
○ US froze japanese assets and cut off trade, including steel and oil, which were vital to japanese
war machine
● December 7th 1941- Attack on Pearl Harbor
○ US code breakers learned of an attack, not knowing when or where (Guam/philippines)
■ Code tells of japanese to stop diplomacy w Washington and go underground
○ The entire pacific fleet was in naval base on Pearl Harbor
○ Casualties: 2403 Killed in action, 1178 Wounded IA
○ SIMULTANEOUSLY japan bombs and invades philippines, guam, malaya, thailand, shanghai
○ US declares war the next day (and due to tripartite pact Germany declares war on US)
○ Why the US didn’t spread the ships out:
■ They didn't expect Japan’s tech, fuel for planes, and due to advice from economic trading
in 1910-20’s, japan’s navy was similar to US navy
○ Japan had been planning this attack 3-4 months PRIOR to the embargo (as a backup)
Analysis: an emotional event to the public expecting war in europe, Japanese internment as a consequence
Neutrality Act
● 1st 1935 Act:
○ Gave president the power to ban US ships from carrying US made weapons to nations at war
○ Citizens traveled on belligerent ships at their own risk
● 2nd Act 1936 Act:
○ Banned loans and credits to nations at war
○ Materials were not limited, but companies could still sell as long as they got paid
● 3rd Act 1937
○ Cash and carry- countries pay up front AND provide transportation
● 4th Act 1937
○ President could determine what could/couldn’t be sold to nations at war
○ Banned traveling on belligerent ships
○ Sino-japanese war: these acts were not enforced b/c they weren’t considered belligerent nations,
so US continued to supply China (and even Japan)
● 5th Act 1939
○ After Germany takes over Czechoslovakia and fall of poland, 5th act passed
○ Lifts arms embargo, and makes trade with belligerent nations cash and carry
● Lend lease in 1941-
○ After Barbarossa
○ Allows US to loan or lease arms to countries deemed “vital to the defense of the US”
■ France had fallen, and Britain was facing a full air assault by germany (battle of britain).
They needed aid and were out of money, so this was to benefit GB. ( included USSR too)
■ China also benefit facing assault from Japan
■ FDR calls US the “Great arsenal of democracy”
Analysis: FDR can CHOOSE which countries are “belligerent”
Lend lease moved US from neutrality to non belligerency
Before US involvement
● 2nd Sino-Japanese war (1937)
○ Full scale invasion of China by Japan which was observed closely by the Western powers
○ FDR Quarantine speech- metaphor to imply US should help countries attacked by bell. nations
■ Aggression is like an epidemic of physical disease
○ Japanese took capital and Rape of Nanking happened due to an “easy win” , led to war crimes
● US response to this
○ Japan is fueled by the oil from the US, but FDR didn’t change any policies as he was bound to the
neutrality acts and didn’t wanna get involved
○ Openly supported China and even a little financial aid, but didn’t stop trading with Japan
■ FDR uses cash and carry to supply China 25 mill in oil
○ By 1938, US rhetoric against Japan was increasing, however trading policy continued
■ No one knew soviet stance on this
, Analysis: Success of the Japanese military, and fear of a chinese/Soviet alliance was central to heightened
rhetoric and FDR’s push for changing policy. (later became fear of soviet-japan alliance)
● Tripartite pact- September 1940
○ Between Germany Italy and Japan
○ Germany and Italy would dominate europe, Japan would dominate East asia (lebensraum)
○ Japan ignored racist aryan rhetoric
● Japan was able to secure northern border with a neutrality pact w USSR
● By this point the US sent a billion in lend lease to the Soviet Union (to prevent a japan/soviet alliance??)
Analysis: The United states initially didn’t want to be involved because this would create a 2 theater war
● America First Committee
○ Most powerful isolationist group of that era with over 800k members by 1941
○ Argumentative against FDR and had 4 main principles:
■ US must build a strong defense for america
■ No foreign power, nor group of powers, can successfully attack a prepared america
■ American democracy can be preserved only by keeping out of european war
■ “Aid short of war” weakens national defense at home and threatens to involve america in
war abroad (basically saying don't share w other countries cus then we’ll have less stuff)
○ There were pro german and anti semitic people here too so mixed legacy
● Atlantic Conference- August 1941
○ Churchill and FDR met secretly on a ship
○ Response to churchill asking if US will get involved–Roosevelt was non committal, but agreed to
plan the resolution to WW2 if they won- plan called the Atlantic Charter
○ Without even entering war, they basically laid out plans for what they would do after they won.
○ They called for no territorial gains, self determination of govt., more free and open trade.
● 1941- USSR was weak after winter war, operation Barbarossa and Germany takes over Soviet Union
● Embargo of Japan:
○ US was continuing to supply both China and Japan
○ BUT japan was trying to invade indo-china, infringing on the Allies colonies, and they were
unable to focus on it because of war in Europe
○ US froze japanese assets and cut off trade, including steel and oil, which were vital to japanese
war machine
● December 7th 1941- Attack on Pearl Harbor
○ US code breakers learned of an attack, not knowing when or where (Guam/philippines)
■ Code tells of japanese to stop diplomacy w Washington and go underground
○ The entire pacific fleet was in naval base on Pearl Harbor
○ Casualties: 2403 Killed in action, 1178 Wounded IA
○ SIMULTANEOUSLY japan bombs and invades philippines, guam, malaya, thailand, shanghai
○ US declares war the next day (and due to tripartite pact Germany declares war on US)
○ Why the US didn’t spread the ships out:
■ They didn't expect Japan’s tech, fuel for planes, and due to advice from economic trading
in 1910-20’s, japan’s navy was similar to US navy
○ Japan had been planning this attack 3-4 months PRIOR to the embargo (as a backup)
Analysis: an emotional event to the public expecting war in europe, Japanese internment as a consequence
