From Isolation to Intervention: Origins of WWII
Texts
Text A
The United States of America, the British Empire, France, Italy and Japan:
Desiring to contribute to the maintenance of the general peace, and to reduce the burdens of competition in armament;
have resolved, with a view to accomplishing these purposes, to conclude a treaty to limit their respective naval
armament…
—Washington Naval Conference, 1921
Text B
ARTICLE I
The High Contracting Parties solemnly declare in the names of their respective peoples that they condemn recourse to
war for the solution of international controversies, and renounce it, as an instrument of national policy in their relations
with one another.
ARTICLE II
The High Contracting Parties agree that the settlement or solution of all disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of
whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them, shall never be sought except by pacific means.
—Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928
Text C
Providing for the prohibition of the export of arms, ammunition, and implements of war to belligerent countries; the
prohibition of the transportation of arms, ammunition, and implements of war by vessels of the United States for the
use of belligerent states; for the registration and licensing of persons engaged in the business of manufacturing,
exporting, or importing arms, ammunition, or implements of war; and restricting travel by American citizens on
belligerent ships during war…
—The Neutrality Act of 1935
Text D
Whenever the President shall have issued his proclamation as provided for in section 1 of this Act, it shall thereafter
during the period of the war be unlawful for any person within the United States to purchase, sell, or exchange bonds,
securities, or other obligations of the government of any belligerent country, or of any political subdivision thereof, or of
any person acting for or on behalf of such government, issued after the date of such proclamation, or to make any loan
or extend any credit to any such government or person…
—The Neutrality Act of 1936
Text E
IV. THE EFFECT OF ARMAMENTS ON PEACE
The committee finds, under the head of the effect of armament on peace, that some…munitions companies have…had
opportunities to intensify the fears of people for their neighbors and have used them to their own profit.
While the evidence before this committee does not show that wars have been started solely because of the activities of
munitions makers and their agents, it is also true that wars rarely have one single cause, and the committee finds it to
be against the peace of the world for selfishly interested organizations to be left free to goad and frighten nations into
military activity.
—The Nye Committee Report, U.S. Congress, 1936
Text F
Mr. President…In the midst of foreign war and the alarms of other wars, we are asked to depart basically from the
neutrality which the American Congress has twice told the world, since 1935, would be our rule of conduct in such an
event. We are particularly asked to depart from it through the repeal of existing neutrality law establishing an embargo
on arms, ammunition, and implements of war…
In my opinion, this is the road that may lead us to war, and I will not voluntarily take it… The proponents of the change
vehemently insist that their steadfast purpose, like ours, is to keep America out of the war… But the motive is obvious,
and the inevitable interpretation of the change…will be that we have officially taken sides.
Somebody will be fooled—either the America which is assured that the change is wholly pacific [peaceful], or the
foreigners who believe it is the casting of our die…either those at home who expect too little, or those abroad who
expect too much.
There is no such hazard, at least to our own America, in preserving neutrality in the existing law precisely as we almost
unanimously notified the world was our intention as recently as 1935 and 1937. There is no such jeopardy, at least to
our own America, in maintaining the arms embargo as it is… If I err, I want to err on America’s side.
[Despite such pleas, the arms embargo was repealed early in November 1939. The vote was 55 to 24 in the Senate, 243
to 172 in the House.]
—Senator Arthur Vandenberg, speech in the Senate against repeal of the Neutrality Acts, 1939
Text G
The right to bases in Newfoundland and Bermuda are gifts-generously given and gladly received. The other bases
mentioned have been acquired in exchange for 50 of our over-age destroyers. This is not inconsistent in any sense with
our status of peace. Still less is it a threat against any nation. It is an epochal and far-reaching act of preparation for
continental defense in the face of grave danger.
—Message to the Congress, 1940
Text H
…it may still prove true that the best defense of Great Britain is the best defense of the United States. Now, what I am
trying to do is to eliminate the dollar sign…get rid of the silly, foolish old dollar sign.
[L]et me give you an illustration: Suppose my neighbor's home catches fire, and I have a length of garden hose four or
five hundred feet away. If he can take my garden hose and connect it up with his hydrant, I may help him to put out his
fire. Now, what do I do? I don't say to him before that operation, "Neighbor, my garden hose cost me $15; you have got
to pay me $15 for it." What is the transaction that goes on? I don't want $15—I want my garden hose back after the fire
is over. All right. If it goes through the fire all right, intact, without any damage to it, he gives it back to me and thanks
me very much for the use of it. But suppose it gets smashed up—holes in it—during the fire; we don't have to have too
much formality about it, but I say to him, "I was glad to lend you that hose; I see I can't use it any more, it's all smashed
up." He says, "How many feet of it were there?" I tell him, "There were 150 feet of it." He says, "All right, I will replace
it." Now, if I get a nice garden hose back, I am in pretty good shape.
In other words, if you lend certain munitions and get the munitions back at the end of the war, if they are intact—
haven't been hurt—you are all right. If they have been damaged or have deteriorated or have been lost completely, it
seems to me you come out pretty well if you have them replaced by the fellow to whom you have lent them.
—President Franklin D. Roosevelt, press conference, 1940
Text I
Never before have the American people been asked or compelled to give so bounteously and so completely of their tax
dollars to any foreign nation…Never before has the United States given to one man the power to strip this Nation of its
defenses…
If the American people want a dictatorship—if they want a totalitarian form of government and if they want war—this
bill should be steamrolled through Congress, as is the wont of President Roosevelt.
Approval of this legislation means war, open and complete warfare. I, therefore, ask the American people before they
supinely accept it, was the last World War worthwhile?
If it were, then we should lend and lease war materials. If it were, then we should lend and lease American boys.
President Roosevelt has said we would be repaid by England. We will be. We will be repaid, just as England repaid her
war debts of the first World War…Our boys will be returned— returned in caskets, maybe; returned with bodies
maimed; returned with minds warped and twisted by sights of horrors and the scream and shriek of high-powered
shells. Considered on its merits and stripped of its emotional appeal to our sympathies, the lend-lease-give bill is both
ruinous and ridiculous...”
—Senator Burton Wheeler, speech in Senate on Lend Lease Act, 1941
Main Idea
To promote world peace, nations should limit the size of their militaries.
The global community agrees to settle international disagreements without resorting to war.
The U.S. banned sale of supplies to any nation at war, and for Americans to travel on ships of warring nations.
In addition to prohibiting the sale of military supplies to nations at war, the United States also banned loans or
lines of credit to nations at war.
Businesses profiting from the sale of weapons and munitions have had too much influence on the decision to
go to war.
If the United States lifts its ban on the sale of weapons to warring nations, we will no longer be following a
policy of neutrality.
In exchange for the right to build bases in British territories, the United States will give Britain destroyers.
The U.S. Congress should pass the Lend-Lease Act because defending Britain is the best way to defend the
United States.
If the United States passes the Lend-Lease Act, the nation will be drawn into the war.
Context

Militarism was a primary cause of World War I.

During the 1920s, the global community sought ways to avoid future conflicts.

By limiting naval strength, this agreement represented foreign policy in the years after WWI.

After WWI, the United States did not join the League of Nations, and looked for ways to promote peace.

During the 1920s, the global community sought ways to avoid future conflicts.

By agreeing to outlaw war, this agreement represented foreign policy in the years after WWI.

As a result of the global depression, a number or nationalist dictators rose to power in Europe and Asia.

The U.S. believed it had been drawn into WWI partly because it sold weapons to nations at war.

By banning the sale of munitions and restricting travel by U.S. citizens, the nation hoped to avoid war.

The only U.S. ally to repay it WWI debt was Finland – not even Britain and France repaid their war debts.

As tension increased in Europe and Asia, the U.S. sought ways to remain neutral.

By banning loans to nations at war, the U.S. hoped to preserve its neutrality and avoid war.

After WWI, the United States became strongly isolationist.

Widespread reports suggested that manufacturers of armaments had unduly influenced the American
decision to enter the war in 1917.

A Congressional committee’s findings provided support for passage of the Neutrality Acts of 1935-1937.

After Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany – WWII had begun.

After France fell to German military might, only Britain was left to defend against Nazi Germany.

President Roosevelt asked Congress to revise the Neutrality Acts to allow Britain to pay in cash for war
materials they would carry on their own ships.

Even with a change to “cash and carry” policy, the British still needed American military aid.

President Roosevelt wanted to support Britain, but there was still strong opposition to any more
American involvement in the conflict.

By accepting a “Destroyers for Bases” deal, the Roosevelt was able to give key military support to Britain.

The Battle of Britain raged throughout the summer and fall of 1940.

By the end of 1940, Britain could no longer fund the purchase of supplies from the United States.

After the 1940 election that November, President Roosevelt asked Congress to amend the “cash and
carry” policy to allow the U.S. to lend and lease supplies and weapons to the British.

Isolationists were strongly opposed to any American intervention or aid to the Allies.

Some in Congress feared that loaning war supplies without cash payments would push the U.S. into war.

Despite opposition, the Lend-Lease Act passed and provided over $40 billion in weapons, vehicles, and
supplies to the Allied war effort.
Writing For Understanding
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