London Economic Conference (1933)

  • In the summer of 1933, 66 nations sent delegates to the London Economic Conference.

    • Objective: Coordinate an international response to the global depression.

    • Goals: Stabilize currencies and establish exchange rates.

Good Neighbor Policy

  • Initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR).

    • Aimed to prevent U.S. intervention in Latin American countries.

    • Result: All U.S. Marines left Haiti in 1934.

    • America loosened its control over Cuba and Panama.

Rise of Totalitarianism in Europe

  • Following the Great Depression, totalitarian regimes emerged across Europe.

    • Joseph Stalin assumed control of the USSR, leading to the execution of hundreds of thousands of political enemies.

    • Benito Mussolini became the leader of Italy in 1922.

    • Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933.

Significance of Dictatorships

  • Hitler identified as the most threatening dictator due to his considerable power and impulsive nature.

U.S. Stance and International Relations

  • The U.S. aimed to maintain peace amid rising militarism in Japan and Germany.

Chapter 32 Notes: FDR & The Shadow of War (1933-1941)

Key Vocabulary

  • Good Neighbor Policy

  • “Dress rehearsal”

  • Munich Conference

  • Nazi-Soviet Pact

  • Election of 1940

  • Lend-Lease

  • Pearl Harbor Attack

Study Review Question

  • What was the Good Neighbor Policy?

London Conference

  • FDR opposed the London Economic Conference.

    • Reason: He wanted to avoid interference in his economic recovery strategies.

Good Neighbor Policy Details

  • In 1938, when the Mexican government seized American oil properties, FDR maintained a policy of unarmed intervention.

    • A settlement was reached in 1941.

Reciprocal Trade Agreements

  • In 1934, Congress passed the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act.

    • Purpose: Lower tariffs to encourage international trade.

    • Allowed the President to reduce tariffs for countries that reciprocated.

    • Outcome: By the end of 1939, Secretary of State Hull negotiated agreements with 21 countries.

    • Resulted in increased U.S. foreign trade and set the stage for a free-trade system post-WWII.

Global Aggression and Response

Troubling World Events

  • In 1936, the Rome-Berlin Axis was formed between Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

  • Japan withdrew from the Washington Naval Treaty in 1934.

  • Mussolini invaded Ethiopia in 1935 for regional dominance.

Neutrality Acts

  • To avoid war, Congress enacted Neutrality Acts in 1935, 1936, and 1937.

    • Provisions: When the president declared a foreign war, restrictions on American involvement took effect.

    • Americans could not travel on ships of belligerents, sell or transport munitions to them, or extend loans.

    • Consequence: Lack of support for democracies inadvertently encouraged aggressors.

Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)

  • Spanish rebels, supported by General Francisco Franco, opposed the republic in Madrid.

    • Franco's forces received assistance from Hitler and Mussolini, aiding in the overthrow of the Soviet-backed Loyalist regime.

    • The war was termed a “dress rehearsal” for WWII, involving similar international players.

Arms Embargo and Quarantine Speech

  • The U.S. imposed an arms embargo on both sides in the Spanish Civil War.

  • FDR's Quarantine Speech in 1937 proposed economic sanctions against aggressive nations but faced public opposition.

Key Events Leading to WWII

  • March 1938: Hitler invaded Austria with the support of Austrian voters.

  • September 1938: The Munich Conference allowed Hitler to annex the Sudetenland, aimed at appeasing him to prevent further expansion.

  • August 23, 1939: Nazi-Soviet Pact was formed, allowing Germany to invade Poland without fear of Soviet retaliation.

  • September 1, 1939: Germany invaded Poland, prompting Britain and France to declare war, thus igniting WWII.

Neutrality Legislation and Trade

Neutrality Act of 1939

  • Allowed European democracies to purchase arms from America on a cash-and-carry basis to avoid loans and minimize American ship losses.

U.S. Response to European Conflict

Spanish Civil War & American Volunteers

  • A group known as the Abraham Lincoln Brigade fought for the Loyalists in Spain.

Japan's Aggression

  • In 1937, Japan invaded China but was not officially recognized as a conflict to maintain neutrality in trade.

Hitler's Violations of Treaties

  • Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles by conscripting military service in 1935 and remilitarizing the Rhineland in 1936.

  • In March 1939, he extended control over all of Czechoslovakia.

Pre-WWII and the U.S. Military Preparations

The Phony War

  • The period post-Poland's fall was marked as the