U.S. Neutrality to War

U.S. refuses to sign the

Treaty of Versailles

why doesn’t the U.S. sign the treaty of Versailles

because of the League of Nations

U.S. returns to a policy of

isolationism

many Americans wanted

disarmament

Kellogg Briand Pact

• 15 nations that refused to declare war on each other

• expanded into sixty nations

why was the Kellogg Briand Pact useless

because it had no provisions

Five Power Treaty

• nations that won in WW1

• tried to limit arms by limiting production of naval vessels

who signed the Five Power Treaty

• U.S.

• Italy

• France

• Great Britain

• Japan

Neutrality Acts (1935)

• series of laws that banned the U.S. from loaning weapons/money to nations at war

Cash + Carry Policy (September 1939)

• allowed the sale of nonmilitary goods for cash

• must transport the cargo themselves

when does France surrender to Great Britain

June 1940

as a result of public opinion change

U.S. starts to give aid to Great Britain

September 1940: U.S. sends 50 destroyers to Britain in exchange for

territory to build bases in Great Britain

what did the America First Committee try to do

to stop aid to Great Britain

what did the America First Committee want

the U.S. to stay out of the war

who does Japan join

the axis powers w/ Germany + Italy

Congress starts

increasing defense spending

December 1940: Congress passes

• Selective Service + Training Act

• first peace time draft

Lend Lease Act: March 4, 1941

• arsenal for democracy

• President could lend/lease war materials to any country whose defense was vital to war

how much was the Lend Lease Act

50 billion dollars

May 1941: Hitler calls the attack off

Britain and turns his attention to the Soviet Union

June 22, 1941: Germany attacks the

• Soviet Union

• wanted their natural resources

Soviet Union is now an

allied power

August 1941: Meeting between Winston Churchill + Roosevelt discussing

• war goals and post war Europe

• Atlantic Charter

In the Atlantic Charter, Roosevelt and Churchill also spoke of

• a new world organization to replace the League of Nations

• would be the United Nations