Franklin Roosevelt and His New Deal Roosevelt‟s philosophy: Pragmatism “Let’s concentrate on one thing…Save the people and the nation and if we have to change our minds twice a day to accomplish that end, then we should do it” Eleanor Roosevelt: a real First Lady Inauguration March 4, 1933 depression at its worst: unemployment 25%; bank failures at peak “The only thing to fear is fear itself-nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror.’ Roosevelt also asked Congress for broad executive powers “as if the nation were at war.” Roosevelt‟s Cabinet State: Cordell Hull Labor: Frances Perkins Interior: Harold Ickes Treasury: Hans Morgenthau Brain Trust: Rexford Tugwell and Raymond Morley Hundred Days: March 7 through June 16, 1933 15 major bills passed including AAA, NRA, TVA, CCC Emergency Banking Relief Act: Bank Holiday explained by FDR in “Fireside Chat” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Important “Hundred Days” Legislation 1. AAA Agricultural Adjustment Act Replaced by Soil Conservation and domestic Allotment Act 2. NRA National Recovery Act head: Hugh Johnson no power to enforce rules Aim: to eliminate waste and inefficiency via cooperation among competitors 557 Codes of Fair Competition Blue Eagle symbol of compliance with NRA “We do our part” Section 7a of NRA provided for Collective Bargaining NRA declared unconstitutional by Schecter Poultry Corporation vs. the US 3. Tennessee Valley Authority Tennessee went from 45% to 80% of the national income 4. Civilian Conservation Corps “Roosevelt’s tree army” conserved both natural and human resources; one billion trees planted New Deal terms: Ballyhoo Boondoggle 27 Opposition to the New Deal 1. Liberty League FDR a “Traitor to his class” 2. Dr. Townsend 3. Fr. Charles Coughlin “radio priest” Union for Social Justice 4. Huey Long of Louisiana “Share Our Wealth” program “Everyman a king, but no one wears a crown.” Long: “the most successful demagogue in America” Collectively Townsend, Coughlin and Long were a threat to the New Deal so Roosevelt moves left to Second New Deal 1935 Works Progress Administration: Work relief for unemployed; Harry Hopkins: administrator 8 million people employed over 8 year time period Federal Writers Project “intellectuals have to eat too” 1935 Social Security Initial Social Security payment: 1% of wages; maximum tax a year: $30 1935 National Labor Relations Act or Wagner Act Re-asserted the right of labor to organize and bargain collectively 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act or Wages and Hours Bill ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Election of 1936 Roosevelt vs. Al Landon Democratic landslide: Roosevelt captures 61% of vote-largest plurality thus far in US history New Deal Coalition interest groups who voted Democratic in 1936 and for next 20 years Court Packing Plan: add one justice for each Supreme Court Justice over 70 (9+6) “In the Court Packing Plan no astute politician had ever erred so badly in estimating the effect of an action since Douglas and the Kansas-Nebraska Act.” Roosevelt failed to: 1. consult Congress 2. appreciate that Americans regarded Supreme Court as untouchable “Roosevelt lost the battle but won the war” Within 4 years Roosevelt appoints 7 new justices Political result of the Court Packing plan? FDR looks vulnerable now; Southern Democrats defect 1937-8 Recession “a recession within a depression” Roosevelt withdraws $2 billion from economy Evaluation of the New Deal National Debt: 1932 $19 billion 1939: $40 billion 28 Hitler, Nazism and World War II I International Setting A. Depression B. League of Nations defied 1. Japan invaded Manchuria; US reaction: Stimson Doctrine “Collective Security died and World War II began in Manchuria in 1931” 2. 1935 Mussolini„s Italy attacks Ethiopia Haile Sellassee‟s ineffectual appeal to UN II International Conditions within Germany which led to Nazism A. Punishment of the Treaty of Versailles, real and psychological 1. Territory lost? 2. War Guilt Clause $33 billion reparations bill B. Psychological effect of the loss of World War I on Germany C. Weaknesses of the Weimar Republic l. Political: no history of participatory democracy 2. Economic a. 1923 Inflation 1. 1914: 4 marks = $1.00 2. 1923: 25 million marks = $1.00 3. 1923 Hitler‟s attempted putsch in a Munich beer hall b. 1929 Depression c. 1923-29 Stresseman Era best time of the Weimar Republic III Ultimate Crisis of the Weimar Republic A. Depression: accelerated unpopularity of the Weimar government and paved way for political extremism. B. November, 1932 election to Reichstag; small increase in Communist vote is the key to a later Nazi victory. Note: The Nazis never attained a majority of the votes in a fair election in Germany. Proportional representation in Reichstag- many political parties. C. January 30, 1933 Hitler legally appointed Chancellor of Germany by President von Hindenburg. D. Nazi political take-over: Reichstag fire blamed on Communists-an excuse to suspend all civil liberties 2. Enabling Act March 1933 “legislative suicide” “law for relieving the distress of the people of the Reich.” IV Biography of Hitler A. Born: Austria, 1889 B. World War I: Corporal in German army C. 1920 joins German Workers Party 29 D. putsch in Munich beer hall 1. light sentence: 5 years; Hitler only served 13 months. 2. writes Mein Kampf in Landsberg prison suite E. 1933-45 Fuehrer of the Third Reich V Reasons for the Personal Appeal of Hitler A. rapid recovery from the depression 1932: 6 000,000 unemployed 1936 160,000 unemployed B. appeal to a common prejudice: Jews are the scapegoats C. public spectacles: parades, uniforms, Neurenberg sportzplatz; 1936 Olympics, Jesse Owens D. use of mass means of communication: Volksradio E. appeal to nationalism; to correct the wrongs of Versailles “German mass movements from Luther to Hitler which stress nationalism all succeed.” VI Hitler‟s Foreign Policy in Action “Saturday Surprises” A. Germany announced re-armament in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles B. 1936 Germany occupies demilitarized Rhineland C. 1936 Rome-Berlin Axis (alliance). D. March, 1938 Anschluss forced union with Austria E. 1937 Japan joins Germany and Italy in the Anti-Comintern alliance F. September, 1938 Munich Conference; Hitler, Mussolini, Deladier and Chamberlain agree to Germany’s acquisition of the Sudeten or western region of Czechoslovakia later Munich associated with appeasement; in Cold War after WWII West determined to avoid appeasement of aggressor nations G. Germany occupies the remaining eastern part of Czechoslovakia England and France promise war if Poland is attacked H. August 1939 German-Russia 10 year non-Aggression Pact I. September 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland; beginning of World War II J. September 3, 1939 England and France declare war on Germany VII Hitler‟s Conquest of Europe A. September 1939 France relies on defense of Maginot Line B. September-April 1940 Phony war or sitzkrieg” C. April 1940 Germany’s conquest of western Europe begins 1. April Denmark conquered in 3 hours 2. April Norway prolonged and bitter fighting 3. May Netherlands 40 days; Belgium 18 days; Luxembourg 4. May 30, 1940 evacuation of 300,000 British troops from beaches of Dunkirk 5. June 5, 1940 France attacked June 22, 1940 France surrendered to Germany at Compiegne Marshall Petain and the French Vichy government 6. September 1940 worst of the Battle of Britain: blitz RAF 800 planes and pilots; Luftwaffe 2400 planes and pilots 30 United States Neutrality Legislation 1935 arms embargo 1936 no loans to belligerents 1937 no US citizen on a belligerent ship 1937 Cash and Carry Ludlow Amendment: a national referendum needed to declare war; narrowly defeated October 1937 Roosevelt‟s “Quarantine Speech” proposes a quarantine against aggressor nations US reaction? December 1937 USS Panay sunk by Japanese US reaction? In US 2 different sentiments seen in these organizations: 1. America First 2. Committee to Defend America by aiding the Allies June, 1940: following the fall of France, less than 40% in US for helping England By September 1940 60% of US for helping England even if it meant war Battle of Britain: turning point in US opinion Role of Edward R. Morrow’s radio broadcasts May 1940 Winston Churchill becomes England’s Prime Minister September 1940 Destroyer Base Deal by executive agreement 50 “overage” destroyers swapped for 8 English bases from New Foundland to Bermuda Poll: 90% of US against entering the war but 70% favor the Destroyer Base Deal Election of 1940 the issue? Republicans: Wendell Willkie “simple barefoot Hoosier” Democrats: Roosevelt gets 55% of the vote FDR: “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: your boys aren’t going to be sent into any foreign wars.” Roosevelt wins 27 million to 22 million Lend Lease: “An Act to Further Promote the Defense of the US.” FDR wants the US to be an “arsenal for democracy.” $31 billion in Lend Lease aid given to England $13 billion to Russia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31 June 1941 Hitler invades USSR; Stalin stunned US reaction to news of German invasion of USSR? Hitler indecisive: attack Leningrad? Moscow? Stalingrad? 1942-43 Germans at Stalingrad under General von Paulus 91,000 Germans left to surrender to the Russians at Stalingrad --------- 285,000 original German army at Stalingrad If Hitler had sent even some troops trapped at Stalingrad to North Africa, Rommel might have won in North Africa. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------