Interwar Period and Isolationism
Post WWI Isolationism
  Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928
 
 
US manipulated it into a no-war pact between more
than a dozen major nations
Aided US in isolating itself
  FDR’s “Good Neighbor” policy
 
 
US will respect the rights of others and not get involved
in their affairs
Mexico nationalizes oil in 1938… US stays out despite
British interference… Mexico pays for rights in 1941.
League of Nations and Japan
  Did not include US
  Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931; withdrew
from League of Nations
 
 
League angrily decry’s action, but no force to
back it up
USS Panay sunk in China by Japanese—Japan
pays $2 million in reparations; issue glossed
over and war avoided.
Rumblings of War
  Italy invades Ethiopia, 1935
  Germany occupies Rhineland (demilitarized
at Versailles), 1936
http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/map10eu.htm
  Germany and Italy
support fascists in
Spanish Civil War
(1936-1939)
Isolationism: An Act of Congress
 
1934-Provisions for Philippine independence
 
1935-37: More Acts baring arms sales, especially to
Spanish parties
 
Cash & Carry policy… a compromise
 
Popular Vote???
 
1938: FDR pushed for disarmament conference—even
the Brits decline
War in Europe
 
Germany invades & occupies Austria, 1938
 
Germany invades Sudetenland, 1938
 
 
 
Czechs mobilize—expect British/French support
Brits & French meet with Hitler—allow him to
annex Sudetenland
Neville Chamberlain: we have
achieved “…peace in our time.”
War in Europe (Cont.)
Germany annexes rest of Czechoslovakia,
1939
 
 
Italy invades Albania
 
 
 
Britain makes defense pact with
Austria
Brits make defense alliance with
Greece and Romania
US meanwhile paralyzed by
isolationists
War in Europe (Cont.)
 
Germany signs non-aggression pact with USSR,
1939
 
Germany invades Poland, Sept. 1
 
Britain/France declare war
on Germany, Sept. 3
 
Soviets invade
Poland, Sept. 17
War in Asia
Japans invasion of and war against China
slows
 
 
 
US ends treaty from 1911 that sells arms to
Japan
Germany (ally of Japan)
makes pact with USSR
(enemy of Japan)
War in Europe
Blitzkrieg—lighting war
 
 
Germany invades…
 
 
 
 
 
Combined air & land assault…speed was the key
Norway, Denmark—April, 1940
Netherlands, Belgium,
Luxembourg—May, 1940
France—June, 1940
British army driven back
across English channel
Battle of Britain
 
Germans bombed British cities
 
Brits had broken German secret code—helped RAF
fight off some bombers
 
Germans not able to invade Brits because of British
resilience
 
 
Postponed invasion plans
Britain begins pleading
for US aid
The Home Front
 
War in Europe scares some Americans
 
Germany able to accomplish in several months
more than all of WWI
 
If Britain fell, so might its navy…
 
… and combined with German navy
would give Hitler access to whole
Atlantic and our East coast
The Home Front (Cont.)
FDR issues policy of unrestricted aid to Allies
 
 
Sent 50 old US destroyers to Brits in exchange for 8 sites
to use as US bases in British land
 
Sept. 1940—FDR gets Congress to agree to
peacetime draft
 
FDR wins unprecedented 3rd
term in November 1940 over
Wendel Wilkie (R)
Lend-Lease Act
  March 1941
  Congress authorized the President to…
“…sell, transfer title to, exchange, lease, lend, or otherwise
dispose of” arms to “any country the President deems vital to
the defense of the United States.”
  Eliminated the “cash” part of cash & carry
The Home Front (Cont.)
 
FDR allows US navy to escort ships (mostly British)
½ way across Atlantic
 
October, 1941—German U-boats
torpedo USS Kearny and
USS Reuben James
 
FDR allows US navy to shoot
U-boats on sight
USS Reuben James burns
 
Congress approves FDR’s request to repeal
“carry” part of cash-and carry policy—US merchant
and war ships now crossing whole Atlantic with
license to kill
Undeclared War?
  US engaged in undeclared war…
  It was only a matter of time until we sunk
enough U-boats or they torpedoed enough of
our ships until open war broke out…
  Who would be first?