WORLD WAR II
British Aid
America wanted Britain and France to win, but was committed to neutrality. In order to help Britain and France and keep neutrality at the same time, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress passed the Neutrality Act of 1939 which said the U.S. would sell war materials on a cash-and-carry.This was open to Germany too but the British and French navies could keep the Germans away. There was also the Destroyer Deal were Americans transferred 50 old destroyers from WWI days to Britain and in return, the U.S. got eight defensive bases. The Quarantine speech, Neutrality Acts, cash-and-carry,and Destroyer Deal showed that the U.S. was taking steps away from isolationism. But the abandonment of isolationism was fully clear until congress passed the Lend-Lease Bill were America had sent about $50 billion worth of arms and material to the Allies. Everyone even Hitler realized America was no longer neutral and on On May 21, 1941 a German submarine destroyed an American ship.
THE ATLANTIC CHATER
The Atlantic Charter was first issued in August 1941 and it stated the Allied goals for the post-WWII, the U.S went to the meeting even though they weren't in the war. The main points of the Charter were like Wilson's Fourteen Points of WWI : Self-determination meaning there would be no territorial or government changes without the people's vote, disarmament, a new peace-keeping organization, like the League of Nations. Isolationists criticized the Atlantic Conference and Charter, they felt that America was no longer neutral.
Japan
In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria. This involved the U.S. since Open Door policy was shut in Manchuria. This went against the Kellogg-Briand Pact which outlawed war. Japan also bombed Shanghai on the coast of China in 1932. To protest Japan's actions in China, the U.S. put an embargo on Japan. The main blow was cutting off oil, which Japan needed for its growing empire. Japan's solution was to attack. On December 7, 1941 they attacked Hawaii. The attack on Pearl Harbor sunk or damaged may American ships and 3,000 Americans were killed or wounded. With this incident the United States declared war on Japan and then Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S. and the U.S. declared war back.
A-Bomb
The secret Manhattan project began in 1942, this was the bomb used on japan during WWII. After defeating Germany the U.S. wanted unconditional surrender of Japan and when Japan refused, the U.S. dropped the destructive A-bomb on Hiroshima on August 6 and on Nagasaki on August 9. Weeks after the bombs where dropped, Japan agreed to surrender.
|