The Global Crisis/World War II Chapters 25 & 26

The Global Crisis/World War II – Chapters 25 & 26

. 1921 - Harding Administration – Not so isolationist policies o Secretary of State – Charles Evan Hughes o Wants the Leagues of Nations but in a different form o Washington Conference of 1921 . an attempt to stop the naval armament race between US, GB, & Japan . All 3 promise to respect each others Pacific territories and kept the open door policy in China . New era of keeping peace and protecting economic interests of the US without accepting active international duties begins here BUT…. o ENDS with the Kellogg Briand Pact (1928) . The French foreign minister asked the US to join an alliance against Germany . US Sec. of State (now Kellogg, not Hughes who was replaced in 1925) proposes a treaty outlawing war . Contained no elements on how to stop war and rested on “moral force” of world opinion . 14 nations join on Aug. 27, 1928, 48 others follow suit after . Debts and Diplomacy o Wanted to ensure American trade overseas without any foreign affairs or issues. Did this by preventing the dangerous armaments race and reducing the possibility of war. o The US were very concerned about Europe’s economic stability since they were still recovering from WWI . The allies – trying to repay US loans . Germany – attempting to pay reparations o Charles Dawes (an American banker & diplomat) . Made a deal with the gov’t that the banks would provide huge loans to the Germans to pay reparations and in return France and GB would reduce the amount of those payments (since the US was supplying the money). Called “Circular Loans” . Dawes won the Nobel Peace Prize for this idea, but didn’t address any problems that arose . At the same time American businesses were becoming a staple in the unstable European economy, something many worried about since the US was becoming too dependent on these unstable economies . High tariffs put into place by the Rep. Congress also made it difficult for European nations to export their goods to the US so they could not make a profit and not pay back loans . At the same time, the US doubles investments in Latin America between 1924 and 1929 . Hoover and the World Crisis o Consequences of the world economic disaster that begins in 1929: . 1. Economic Distress . 2. Producing nationalism that threatened weak international agreements established in the 1920s . 3. Toppling political leaders that are replaced by powerful, belligerent governments bent on expansion to fix their economic problems o Latin America . Ten week “Goodwill” tour prior to inauguration . Withdrawals troops from Haiti and intervenes much less in Latin American affairs . New policy which recognized any new Latin American government without questioning how they got put into power . Repudiated the Roosevelt Corollary/Monroe Doctrine by refusing to permit American intervention in Latin American countries when they could not pay loans (October 1931) o Europe . Hoover refused to cancel war debts & because of this many European countries default on loans . The Fascist leader, Mussolini, takes power in Italy in the early 1920s and is in favor of imperial expansion . The Nazi Party leader, Adolf Hitler, takes power in 1932 and begins his quest for “Lebensraum” or “living space” o Asia (specifically Japan & China) . Japan was suffering from the economic crisis and leaders were concerned that Chiang Kai-Shek (China’s leader) would increase his hold on Manchuria (a part of China that Japan had economic control over since 1905) . Japanese leaders didn’t take steps to secure Manchuria so in 1931 the military leaders stage a coup, seize control of foreign policy decisions, and a few weeks later launch a major invasion into Manchuria . The US does not recognize the new Japanese gov’t and does little else because we are trying not to commit to international affairs . By early 1932, Japanese leaders invade further into China, attack Shanghai, and kill thousands of civilians o Hoover out of office in 1933 – FDR put into office . FDR & Foreign Policy – Isolationism & Internationalism o Inherits two major problems: . Global Depression . Decaying international structure o FDR releases a “bombshell” statement which said that we were rejecting the agreement which Hoover made at the World Economic Conference which dealt with world currency stabilization. This statement said we would go off the gold standard to keep up. o April 1934 –FDR let the issue of war debts die. Signed a bill that forbade banks from loaning to nations in defaults on its debts o Reciprocal Trade Agreement - lowered tariffs for goods coming in and out of the country for countries shipping goods in and out, as long as the other country did the same for us. 21 countries agree and do this with us. . US & USSR Relations o Bad relations after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution – US still not recognizing the USSR o USSR wanted to help contain Japan and US wanted to trade with USSR o Nov. 1933 – Soviets cease propaganda in US and protect Americans in the USSR and in return the US recognizes the USSR o Mistrust began again a year later because the US couldn’t get a foothold in USSR trade and the USSR gave no formal statement saying they would help with Japan . The Good Neighbor Policy . Attempt to enhance relations with Latin America . Hoover administration had unofficially abandoned the earlier practice of using military force to make Latin American countries believe “responsibly” . FDR’s secretary of state went further and signed a formal document which said “no state has the right to intervene in the internal or external affairs of another” . FDR stuck to this throughout his presidency, and used economic influence in Latin America instead of military force . Isolationism . Arms meeting in Geneva was meeting without result since 1932, Hitler and Mussolini dropped out with Japan shortly after at the London Naval Conference (they were trying to set limits to naval armaments that had been set at the Washington Conference) . Americans grew disillusioned with the League of Nations and stopping Japanese aggression in Asia . Senator Gerald Nye and the World Court – treaty was defeated by the isolationist opposition . In 1935 it seemed clear that Mussolini was going to invade Ethiopia so Congress put in the Neutrality Laws (1935-1937) o First two were protection of neutrality rights o Third established the cash and carry provision for nonmilitary materials . Ethiopia o October 1935 – Mussolini launches his attack o The League protested and in response Mussolini simply resigned from the organization, completed his conquest and then formed an alliance with Nazi Germany . Spain o 1936-1937 Hitler and Mussolini help Francisco Franco after the Falangists (a Spain revolutionary) revolted and began a civil war o Some Americans went to help, but GB, France, and the US all signed an agreement to stay out of it . Japan . Summer 1937 – Tokyo launched an assault on China’s northern providences . FDR got worried and voiced his concern in his “Quarantine Speech” . This speech warned that aggressors should be quarantined by the international community to prevent the contagion of war from spreading, but was very vague on how they would go about doing this . After being very hostile, FDR drew way back . December 12, 1937 – Japanese aviators sink a US gunboat in China. Though almost definitely deliberate, isolationists protest that it was an accident so the administration backed down . Appeasement . 1936 – Hitler begins rearming the Rhineland (which violates the Treaty of Versailles) . March 1938 – German forces march into Austria and announce Anschluss or Union with Austria . Sept 1938 – Demanded the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia where many German speaking peoples lived . September 29, 1938 – Chamberlin of England and the French premier appeased Hitler by giving him the Sudetenland at the Munich Conference . Neville Chamberlin called it “peace in our time” and was given a hero’s welcome . March 1939 – Hitler takes the rest of Czechoslovakia, appeasement is seen as a failure . Europe . August 1939 – Nonaggression Pact signed between USSR and Germany (freeing the Germans from a two front war) and splitting Poland between the 2 of them . Hitler began threats against Poland in August 1939, staged an incident on the Polish border, claimed Poland had been attacked, and launched a full scale invasion on Sept. 1, 1939 . Britain and France declared war against Germany 2 days later . Neutrality to Intervention . Sept. 1939 – FDR revises Neutrality Act- original said the US could not sell arms to any nation at war arms could be purchased on the same cash/carry bases as nonmilitary goods . Fighting done between USSR and its neighbors after Germany takes Poland. Many called the sitting of allies and axis a “phony war” – the US did nothing . Spring 1940 – Germany attacks Norway and Denmark, then the Netherlands, Belgium, and France . June 10 – Italy enters the war . June 22 – France falls to Germany o Nazi puppet government set up in South of France called the Vichy . FDR increases defense spending and begins backing the allies – Churchill begins send FDR a list of everything they need . Public support shifts after France falls and GB is in trouble (66% pro war now) o Burke – Wadsworth Act – 1st peacetime military draft . FDR wins 3rd Term in 1940 . Neutrality Abandoned . GB bankrupt – Dec 1940 . FDR changes the Neutrality Acts so that the US could lend/lease arms to countries whose defense was crucial to the US o We now begin shipping goods to GB, and German U-boats begin sinking half- million tons of shipping every month o July 1941 – US ships begin patrolling and convoys escort ships across the Atlantic o Fall 1941 – Germany breaks pact with USSR, USSR doesn’t back down to the Germans, and FDR extends lend lease to them . The Atlantic o German U-Boat fired on the US destroyer, The Greer – US fire on German U-boat o FDR says that US ships can fire on sight o October 1941 – U-Boats sank 2 US destroyers killing many sailors o Congress was furious and said that merchant ships could now be armed o This essentially started a naval war between the US and Germany . Atlantic Charter o FDR meets with Churchill o No military commitments were made o The 2 nations set out to create a better world which they called for the final destruction of Nazi Germany . Road to Pearl Harbor . Tripartite Act forms an alliance between Italy, Germany, and Japan (Sept. 1940) . Tojo (Japanese dictator) begins taking over French bases in Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, & Laos) . U.S. cuts trade with Japan in order to show disapproval of these acts (this trade cut also cuts oil which the Japanese need desperately) . Because the Japanese need oil so badly, peace talks between the Japanese and US begin . On Nov. 5, 1941 the US deciphers a message that Tojo had sent to his men that told the navy to prepare an attack of the US . Peace talks continue through the month, but FDR warns generals . On Dec. 6, 1941 the US deciphers a message from Tojo to his men to reject all peace proposals from the US . Early on Dec. 7, 1941 the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, kill over 2,000 men, and destroy much of the United State’s navy . On Dec. 8 the US declares war on Japan with full isolationist support . Italy and Germany declare war on the US a few days later