World War II: Why the US got involved

1
World War II Why the US got involved

• APUSH Unit 7

2
Isolationism v. Internationalism

• How involved should the U.S. be in world affairs?
  
• Support/Reject?
• League of Nations
• Naval Arms Limits
• Open Door Policy in China
• Kellogg-Briand Pact (1920s)

3
Nye Committee

• Led by
• Investigated
• Result of Nye report
• Conclusions made by report

4
Neutrality Acts, 1935

• Forbade the sale of munitions to all belligerents
  whenever President proclaimed state of war in
  existence.
• Americans who were on belligerents ships were at
  their own risk.
• Loans to belligerents were prohibited by 1936.
• Roosevelt reluctantly accepted the bills but he
  later moved to modify them.

5
The Peak of Appeasement The Munich Conference,
1938

• In September 1938
• At the Munich Conference
• British Neville Chamberlain
• French Edouard Daladier
• In the agreement
• The U.S. still remained neutral.

6
America First Committee

• Leader Charles Lindbergh
• Small but influential group that opposed US
  involvement in WWII included members of both
  parties.

7
Lend Lease, 1941

• Great Britain was running low on money and
  supplies after almost two years of war.
• Instead of proposing to lend them money,
  Roosevelt decided to lend them all the war
  supplies they needed.
• Make the US the arsenal of democracy.

8
Strained relationship with Japan

• US stopped
• July 27, 1941
• Colonel William F. Friedman
• U.S. expected...
• In Hawaii, Admiral Husband E. Kimmel and General
  Walter C. Short

9
Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941

• Japanese aircraft found easy targets at Pearl
  Harbor.
• In less than 2 hours, the Pacific Fleet had lost
  two battleships, six others were heavily
  battered, and nearly a dozen lesser vessels put
  out of action.
• More than 150 planes were wrecked over 2,300
  servicemen were killed and 1,100 wounded.
• Blame was widespread, both on the Officials in
  Washington and on the Admiral and the General in
  Hawaii.

10
Formal Declaration of War

• On December 8, Congress issued a formal
  declaration of war.