Road to World War II

1. Road to World War II Mr. Ermer U.S. History Honors Miami Beach Senior High

2. New Era Diplomacy • Congress rejects Treaty of Versailles, League of Nations Pact • Sec. of State Charles Evans Hughes negotiates separate treaties • Contrary to claims of isolationism, U.S. plays active role in global politics throughout 1920s • Washington Naval Conference of 1921 • U.S., Britain, France, Italy, Japan agree to limit naval tonnage • Nine-Power Pact to continue Open Door Policy in China • Four-Power Pact b/w U.S., Britain, France, Japan to respect Pacific lands • Kellogg-Briand Pact 0f 1928 • A multilateral pact aiming to outlaw war • The Dawes Plan • The United States loans money to Germany so they can pay their reparations to former Allied Powers in return for lower payments • Fordney-McCumber Act of 1922 raises tariffs, hurts Europe • Growing Latin American indebtedness breeds resentment of “Yankee Imperialism”

5. World Crisis & Diplomacy • Global Great Depression triggers growing nationalism • Many leaders around the world being replaced by angry people • Roosevelt rejects many of Hoover’s foreign policies • Moves to strengthen economic ties with Europe • Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act • Most competitive non-American import goods still limited • Good Neighbor Policy • Increased imports from and exports to Latin America • Rejection of American intervention in Latin America • Inter-American Conference of 1933 held in Montevideo • 1930s Americans grow increasingly isolationist • U.S. signs on to World Court, mostly symbolic • Neutrality Act of 1935 • Prohibits American intervention in Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia • Followed by the neutrality acts of 1936 & 1937 • Americans could travel on foreign ships only at own risk • Warring nations could only buy non-military goods from U.S. in cash and carry them away on own ships—“cash and carry” policy

6. Fascism In Europe • Fascism: Political system run by a dictator, extremely nationalistic, intolerant, and highly ordered • Anti-Communist, pro-empire • Italy (1922): Benito Mussolini brings Fascism • Becomes “Il Duce” or “Leader” of Italy—Premier • Germany (1933): Hitler elected German Chancellor • Upset about terms of WWI’s Treaty of Versailles • Tries to start revolution in 1923, arrested • Writes book in jail: Mein Kampf (“My Struggles”) • Becomes leader of Nazi party • Blames Jews and other minorities for Germany’s problems • Wants to establish a new German empire (Third Reich) • Spanish Civil War • Hitler and Mussolini support Fascist party of Francisco Franco • Britain, France, & U.S. don’t help republican side

10. Authoritarianism In Eurasia • Russia renamed Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR, in 1922—Communist government • Joseph Stalin becomes Soviet premier in 1924 • Five Year Plan to build up economy • Collectivization • Sets eyes on conquest of eastern Europe • Japan needs more natural resources to help economy • Emperor Hirohito’s power=absolute (thought a god) • Prime Minister Tojo is military dictator for emperor • Japan under military control, begins conquering empire

14. Germany Builds Toward War • 1935: Hitler builds new air force, military draft • European leaders, afraid of another war, want to make deal • Assumed Germany just wanted union and peace • 1938: Hitler forces the “peaceful” union of Germany and Austria (the Anschluss) • The Munich Conference • Hitler wants the Sudentenland, part of Czechoslovakia • France and Britain agree, start appeasement policy • 1939: Germany attacks, splits land b/w Czechs & Slovaks • Hitler now wanted city of Danzig from Poland • Britain and France “have Poland’s back” • September 1939, Germany invades Poland

16. Germany At War • Hitler does not want a two-front war like World War I • Sends ministers to Russia to negotiate deal with Stalin • Stalin sees chance to turn capitalists against each other • August 23, 1939: Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact • After Hitler invades Poland, Britain & France declare war • One month later, Poland falls to the Nazis • British and French wait for Nazis in Belgium • Hitler surrounds Belgium, French surrender • British and French troops escape to England through Dunkirk, French Gen. Charles de Gaulle flees to Algiers • Hitler orders his Luftwaffe (air force) to bomb London

20. American Neutrality • Americans disillusioned by failure of World War I • Rise of dictators • Non-payment of debts during Great Depression • Nye Committee/Backlash against arms industry • Support of isolationism • Neutrality Act of 1935: illegal to sell arms abroad • Spanish Civil War erupts • Germany, Italy, & Japan form “Axis Powers” • Neutrality Act of 1937: All nonmilitary goods bought by warring nations on a “cash & carry” basis

22. Still Neutral? • FDR supports internationalism • Supplies China with weapons against Japan • Neutrality Act of 1939: weapons sales OK, cash & carry • FDR lends British old navy ships in exchange for British bases • Lend-Lease Act: lend the British arms to fight war • 1941: Nazi’s invade USSR, break non-aggression pact • FDR est. Hemispheric Defense Zone • USA protects ships in “neutral” western Atlantic • August 1941: The Atlantic Charter • Agreement for after the war to pursue democratic world, free trade, economic advancement, freedom of the seas • FDR’s “shoot on sight” order for German U-boats

23. Japan & Pearl Harbor • FDR restricts sale of strategic materials to Japan • Lend-lease to China • Japan, in need of resources, attacks British and Dutch colonies in eastern, southern Pacific • Japan attacks U.S. Philippines • December 7, 1941: Japan surprise attacks the American Pacific naval fleet at Pearl Harbor • The United States declares war on Japan • Germany and Italy declare war on U.S.A.