Appeasement Fails

 

  1. The Good Neighbor policy – FDR adopted policy declaring, “no state has the right to intervene in the internal or external affairs of another.”
    1. US withdrew from Haiti, stopped interfering in Cuba, and ended involvement in El Salvador and the Dominican Republic.
    2. In Mexico the gov’t took possession of oil companies property.  FDR declined to get involved “Our national interests as a whole far outweigh those of the petroleum companies.”
    3. FDR lifted the high tariffs Hoover had established
    4. Russia pledged not to encourage American Communists if the US would trade with them.  Russia was afraid of Japanese aggression.
  2. Isolationism hits its peak – Senator Nye of N.D. published a report stating that the US was pushed into WWI because bankers had loaned too much money to the Allied side and saw no other way out except to go to war.  Nye was determined not to let this happen again.
    1. Johnson Act of 1934 – said that the US could not loan money or sell arms to belligerents (nations at war).

                                                               i.      Italy invades Ethiopia in 1935 – FDR issued a statement of neutrality and invoked the embargo – FDR asked citizens to not sell anything to either side (aimed at Italy) to penalize countries at war.

                                                             ii.      Spain’s civil war – the Johnson act did not apply to civil wars – FDR convinced Congress, Great Britain and France not to give aid to either side.  (This helped Franco [fascist] win since Germany and Japan were giving him arms – they wanted to test their new weaponry in a real life situation.)

    1. Cash and Carry, 1937 – revised the Johnson Act – stated that if a belligerent nation wanted to buy non-military items they must come to the US, pay in full, and take the material away themselves.  This favored maritime nations such as Britain and Japan.
    2. Japan invades China – in July 1937, Japan captures Beijing, and much of the coast of China.  US will not directly aid China, but FDR does not recognize a state of war so that he can sell arms to China.
    3. Japan sinks US gunboat Panay – Japan apologizes and pays an indemnity to prevent war.
  1. Appeasement in Europe
    1. Neville Chamberlain the Prime Minister of England felt that if allowed Hitler to take possession of areas lost at the end of WWI he would not continue his grabs for power.
    2. FDR felt that economic sanctions leveled against attacking nations would stop attacks.  He asked for a conference of the world’s powers to set standards for international behavior.  Chamberlain declined the offer.
    3. Hitler attacks

                                                               i.      1936 – Hitler moves into the Rhineland – nothing happens.

                                                             ii.      March 1938 – Hitler invades and annexes Austria – nothing happens

                                                            iii.      September 1938 – Hitler demands part of Czechoslovakia called the Sudetenland – at a conference in Munich the leaders of Italy, France, and England agree to give land to Hitler as long as he promises not to attack other areas.  Czechoslovakia was not represented at the meeting.

                                                           iv.      Kristallnacht – “Night of the Broken Glass” Hitler moves against the Jews of Germany, their rights are severely limited, and synagogues and businesses were destroyed across the country.

    1. FDR gets worried and moves to expand the US Army and Navy; the PWA starts building aircraft carriers and cruisers. He also tells Britain and France that the US can fill war supply orders on a cash and carry basis.
    2. 1939 -- Italy attacks Albania, Germany attacks Memel, Lithuania, and Franco conquers Spain.
    3. August 1939 – Germany and Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact.  Neither country will interfere with the military efforts of the other (a secret agreement to split Poland was not publicized).  
    4. September 1, 1939 – Germany attacks Poland
    5. September 3, 1939 – Britain and France declare war on Germany.
    6. FDR asks Congress to repeal arms embargo, Congress compromises by allowing arms sales, but only on a cash and carry basis.
    7. September 25, 1939 – Poland is conquered by the Blitzkrieg attack (Poland was still fighting on horseback).
    8. Winter 1939 – the Soviet Union attacks and conquers Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
    9. April 1940 – Hitler conquers Denmark and Norway
    10. May 1940 – Chamberlain resigns in disgrace; Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister.
    11. May 1940 – Hitler conquers the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, and then attacks France
    12. June 22, 1940 – France falls; Hitler puts in Marshall Petain as the new leader of France. (French army is saved at Dunkirk).  Charles De Gaulle pledges to resist Hitler.
    13. Hitler launches an air attack against Great Britain.
  1. Politics in the US – Election of 1940
    1. Former Democrat Wendell Wilkie is the Republican candidate
    2. FDR is named the Democratic candidate over conservative Democrats fear of a third term.
    3. During the campaign, FDR sends 50 destroyers to Great Britain in exchange for a 99-year lease on 7 British military bases in the Caribbean, and 1 in Canada.  FDR also implement a Selective Service Act (draft).
    4. FDR wins, but only gets 54.8% of the votes. (Compared to 60.8% in 1936)
  2. Lend-Lease Act – FDR wants to get aid to Britain, who had little cash left to buy war material.  Roosevelt proposes that war goods be shipped to Britain now, that will be paid back after the war.  Isolationists fought this proposal strenuously, but most Americans favored it, and it passed in March of 1941.
    1. This committed the US to help Britain and fight against Germany and its allies.
    2. FDR sends troops to Iceland
  3. Hitler attacks the Soviet Union – (imagine that, Hitler didn’t keep his promise) – Hitler wanted to insure that Britain would not have any allies.  The attack is launched on June 22, 1941 after a lengthy delay while the proposal was being discussed in Germany.  Hitler moves to within 30 miles of Moscow before winter sets in, stranding his troops.
  4. The German Navy sinks the US destroyer Greer (after being provoked).  FDR tells US Navy to shoot on sight any German ship in American waters.
  5. Japan and the US
    1. 1938 – The US threatens Japan with economic sanctions due to its action in China – does not follow through.
    2. September 1939 – Japan, Germany, and Italy form the Tripartite pact
    3. The US declares an embargo on gasoline and scrap metal – Japan must import virtually all of its oil, must now seek another source of oil.
    4. July 1941 – Japan attacks French Indochina (Vietnam).  FDR froze Japanese assets in the US
    5. FDR decides that Germany is more of a threat than Japan, and should try to avoid war with Japan.  He does nothing about Japanese attacks on Indochina and China.
    6. General Tojo assumes leadership of Japan (under Emperor Hirohito).  He tries to negotiate with the US, but has a plan to attack the US if negotiations fail.
    7. December 7, 1941 Japan attacks US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii