WWII - WWII Beginnings (Lesson)

WWII Beginnings

Listen to President Roosevelt's speech about the Pearl Harbor attack. Links to an external site.

The Neutrality Acts

Conflict in Europe during the 1930s was not unnoticed in the United States. However, many Americans hoped to remain neutral as they had tried to for the majority of World War I. Post war understandings of how the United States was drawn into World War I showed that the United States’ economic ties to European nations at war was a factor into us joining the war. As a result, legislation was passed to prevent the sale of arms, or providing loans, to nations at war. These Neutrality Acts were passed by Congress to avoid our entanglements in war abroad. It was not until the increased Nazi threat in Europe that a final act provided for a “cash and carry” provision. This “cash and carry” provision stated that supplies necessary for war, including weapons, could be sold to nations at war so long as the buying nation paid cash and brought their own ships to take possession of the materials. This provision prevented the use of loans and prevented American ships from sailing in threatened waters.

The “cash and carry” policy was evidence of the United States support for Allied Nations and its willingness to stop the spread of fascism throughout Europe. But, by 1941 Great Britain was unable to meet the cash and carry principles. In response, the United States passed the Lend-Lease Act. This allowed for the United States to loan or lease military supplies, including weapons, to nations at war so long as it was evident that the security of these nations was paramount to the security of the United States. The United States was able to continue this practice with other Allied Nations. The Lend-Lease Act became vital when Germany broke its nonaggression pact with the Soviet Union and invaded its former ally. Seeing the opportunity to counter Hitler and Nazi Germany, the United States utilized the Lend-Lease Act to support the Soviet Union and bring them into the Allied Powers.

Japanese actions in the Pacific posed a threat to colonial holdings of European nations and the United States. Japan had invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria in the early 1930s and conquered much of the remaining nation by the time it joined with Italy and Germany to form the Axis Powers in 1940. With European nations engaged in war back home, Japan took advantage of this “distraction” and conquered many European territories in the Pacific. Gaining resources from Manchuria and now from European territories, the Japanese Empire was expanding throughout the Pacific. Combating the Japanese, the United States banned the sale of oil and providing resources to Japan. Furthermore, they relocated the United States’ Pacific Naval fleet to a more strategic location at the United States Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Pearl Harbor

 

Learn More

Learn more about what happened on December 7th, 1941.

Visit Pearl Harbor Visitor Bureau's Timeline link Links to an external site.. On the site, review what happened that day from the time the first Japanese submarine is spotted to the US Declaration of War. 

 

PEARL HARBOR IMAGE BY CRISTO VLAHOS DERIVATIVE WORK: PERRYPLANET - THIS FILE WAS DERIVED FROM: ARIZONA MEMORIAL AT PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII.JPG:, CC BY-SA 3.0