A. U.S. Foreign Policy After World War I

US History CH 17 “Road to War” I. THE SEARCH FOR PEACE A. U.S. Foreign Policy after World War I 1. The U.S. followed a policy of partial isolationism, declining membership in the League of Nations & World Court. B. Major Postwar Peace Initiatives 1. The 5-Power Naval Treaty limited nations’ naval strength 2. The 4-Power Treaty guaranteed respect for the nations’ territorial possessions in the Pacific 3. The 9-Power Treaty guaranteed China’s territorial integrity 4. The Kellogg-Briand Pact outlawed war C. Effects of War Debts & Reparations from World War I on European Nations 1. Britain, France, & Italy were in debt to U.S., so they demanded reparations from Germany to help them pay 2. Germany was forced to borrow money from Britain & print paper money 3. Germany suffered hyperinflation which led to a severe economic downturn 4. German bitterness grew II. RELATIONS WITH LATIN AMERICA A. U.S. & Nicaragua 1. 1926: the U.S. invaded Nicaragua to protect commercial interests 2. 1927: Stimson helped negotiate an end to civil war in Nicaragua; U.S. trained the Nicaraguan National Guard 3. 1926-1933: U.S. troops fought Sandino’s forces 4. 1933: U.S. withdrew 5. 1936 on: U.S. backed the Somoza regime B. U.S. Relations w/ Latin America Change in the 1930s 1. U.S. established the Good Neighbor Policy 2. U.S. canceled the Platt Amendment (right to intervene in Cuba) 3. U.S. gave up right to intervene unilaterally in Panama 4. U.S. withdrew troops in Haiti 5. U.S. did not intervene when Mexico chose to nationalize its oil industry C. The Great Depression in Latin America 1. Crop prices declined, wages dropped, unemployment grew 2. The gap between the rich & poor grew 3. Caudillos took power in many countries

III. THE RISE OF MILITARISM A. Benito Mussolini Creates a Fascist State in Italy 1. Led fascists to power against communist 2. Used Blackshirts to occupy Rome with support of nationalists & industrialists 3. Got appointed Prime Minister & given dictatorial powers 4. Limited freedom of speech & voting rights 5. Arrested opponents B. Stalin Maintains Power in the Soviet Union 1. Seized private land & collectivized agriculture 2. Sent opponents to forced labor camps 3. Used police & army to suppress dissent 4. Purged the party & the army of opposition C. Adolph Hitler Rises to Power in Germany 1. Hitler won support by blaming Jews, Communist, & intellectuals for Germany’s decline 2. In 1932, 40% of the vote in national elections went to the Nazi Party 3. Hitler was appointed chancellor & claimed dictatorial powers 4. Hitler crushed political opposition D. Causes of the Spanish Civil War 1. In 1931, Spain adopted a new constitution limiting the power of the military & of the Catholic Church 2. The new constitution called for universal suffrage, nationalization of public utilities, & land of peasants 3. Conservative military men felt threatened by the populist reform 4. In 1936, Fascist army officers led by Francisco Franco began to try to overthrow the gov’t E. Actions of Japan’s Military in the 1930s 1. Built up naval forces in violation of Washington Conference pledges 2. Invaded Manchuria 3. Clashed w/ Chinese troops near Beijing 4. Occupied northern China 5. Launched bombing raids against Chinese cities 6. Occupied Nanjing IV. WAR BREAKS OUT A. International Response to Fascism 1. U.S. Congress passed neutrality laws 2. European leaders adopted a policy of appeasement, but also sped up rearmament 3. The U.S. recognized the Soviet Union B. Early Events of World War II 1. 1939:Hitler occupied Czechoslovakia and signed a nonaggression pact w/ Stalin 2. 1939: Germany invaded Poland- France & Britain declared war 3. 1940: Germany occupied Belgium, Denmark, northern France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, & Norway 4. 1940: British citizens rescued the British army from Dunkirk, & Germany established a puppet gov’t in France C. Escalating Tension Between U.S. & Germany 1. Increasing U.S. aid to Allies 2. German submarine attacks 3. “Roosevelt’s “shoot on sight” orders D. Reasons for Japan’s Bombing of Pearl Harbor 1. Freezing of all Japanese assets in the U.S. 2. Embargo on American shipments of gasoline, machine tools, scrap iron, & steel to Japan