US Prepares for War

1. US Prepares for War US History Standards: SSUSH19 The student will identify the origins, major developments, and the domestic impact of World War II, especially the growth of the federal government. b. Explain the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the internment of Japanese- Americans, German-Americans, and Italian-Americans. c. Explain major events; include the lend-lease program, the Battle of Midway, D-Day, and the fall of Berlin.

2. America Stays Neutral • As war broke out in Europe, the US chose to continue its policy of isolationism • Neutrality Acts were a series of acts passed in the mid-1930s to keep America out of international affairs • the US could not provide weapons to nations at war • banned loans to nations at war • permitted trade with fighting nations in nonmilitary goods as long as those nations paid in cash and transported the goods themselves – this became known as cash and carry • when Japan launched a new attack on China in 1937, FDR found a way around the Neutrality Acts and continued sending arms and supplies to China • the fall of Poland, FDR asked Congress to amend the Neutrality Acts by repealing the arms embargo and allowing merchant ships to transport goods to Britain

3. Preparing for War • after the announcement of the treaty that created the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan), the US began preparing for war • Congress boosted defense spending by about $8 billion • Sept. 1940 – the Selective Service Training and Service Act was passed, creating the nation’s first peacetime draft • 16 million American men between the ages of 21 and 35 were registered • shortly after, FDR decided to break George Washington’s tradition of a two-term presidency – he won a 3rd term with 55% of the vote, promising to keep the country out of the war • in August of 1941, FDR signed the Atlantic Charter, pledging to become Allies with Great Britain

4. Lend-Lease • shortly after his reelection, FDR asked Congress to help aid Britain in fighting the Germans – Britain was approaching bankruptcy and soon wouldn’t be able to pay cash for needed items • the Lend-Lease Act was passed to aid in this problem – the President could aid any nation whose defense he believed was vital to American security • Lend-lease aid was also given to the Soviet Union

5. Japan Builds an Empire • Nationalism and a weak economy lead to the rise of a totalitarian empire in Japan in the 1930s • During the 1930s, the Japanese brutally took control of Manchuria (a region of China) and went to war with China • The start of the war in Europe lead many to ignore what was happening in Asia • In September 1940, the Germans signed a pact with Japan and Japan set its sights on France’s colonies in the Pacific

6. Relations with Japan Break Down • while his attention was focused on Europe, FDR also paid attention to Japan and began cutting trade with Japan who was desperate for raw materials • by the end of November, the US knew that the Japanese were moving their ships

7. Pearl Harbor • December 7, 1941 – Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the headquarters of the US Pacific Fleet • In less than 2 hours, 2,400 Americans had been killed and nearly 1,200 wounded • Nearly 200 warships were damaged or destroyed, including 8 of the 9 battleships

8. Japanese Invasion of Pearl Harbor

9. Pearl Harbor • The next day, in a speech to the nation, FDR declared war on Japan, and after Germany and Italy declared war on them first, on the warring powers in Europe • With this attack, most Americans were now in support of the war, but Roosevelt worried about how the nation would cope with a two front war – Did the US have an adequate army, navy, and air resources to fight in two places?

10. FDR Asks Congress for a Declaration of War