The Roots of Conflict

• Ethical Dilemma of Intervention
  • Question on personal responsibility to intervene when witnessing wrongdoing.
  • Historical context: United States faced challenges with Adolf Hitler's aggression in Europe.

Adolf Hitler's Aggression

• Key Dates and Events

  • June 1940: German forces captured Paris, the French capital.
  • June 23, 1940: Hitler toured Paris, signaling his dominance.

• Appeasement by Britain and France

  • Continued hopes from Britain and France that Hitler's aggression would cease.
  • Examples of appeasement actions:
  • Ignored massive military buildup in Germany.
  • Allowed troops into the Rhineland.
  • Annexed Austria (1938).
  • Permitted the annexation of the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia (1938).
  • Post-occupation of Czechoslovakia and division of Poland led to realization that war was inevitable.

American Perspective on World Events

• American Neutrality
  • Public sentiment against involvement in foreign wars post-World War I.
  • Many Americans, including Congress members, questioned U.S. involvement in WWI as a mistake.
  • Rising fears as Hitler invaded other nations left American neutrality under stress.
  • Discussion Question: Is U.S. neutrality at this point justified?

World War II Breaks Out

• Invasion of Poland (September 1, 1939)

  • Hitler initiated Operation Blitzkrieg ("lightning war").
  • Combination of infantry, tanks, and aircraft overwhelmed Polish forces, leading to:
  • September 3, 1939: Britain and France declare war on Germany as Allies (following WWI’s historical alignment).

• Fall of France (Spring 1940)

  • Rapid German invasion of Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
  • Dunkirk Evacuation (June 1940): 300,000 troops successfully evacuated before encirclement.
  • French military miscalculation regarding invasion route led to German forces bypassing the Maginot Line and advancing to Paris; France surrendered by June 22, 1940.

U.S. Isolationism & Neutrality Acts

• Public Sentiment

  • Post-WWI isolationist sentiment dominated American political views.

• Neutrality Acts (1935, 1937, 1939)

  • Aimed at keeping U.S. out of European conflicts by restricting:
  • Arms sales
  • Travel to war zones

• Military Status

  • U.S. Army regarded as insufficiently sized (about 125,000 troops) compared to global military powers but deemed adequate for national defense.

Aiding Allies

• Shift from Neutrality

  • President Franklin D. Roosevelt worked with Congress to amend Neutrality Acts following Poland's invasion, allowing arms sales to Britain and France.
  • New legislation required cash and self-transport for military supplies from the U.S.

• Battle of Britain

  • German air assaults on British cities, particularly following the fall of France (from July 1940 to September 1940).
  • Royal Air Force (RAF) successfully resisted the Luftwaffe but suffered civilian casualties during the Blitz, changing the war dynamics.

Moving Towards War

• Four Freedoms Speech (January 1941)

  • Roosevelt outlined freedoms most at risk by Axis ambitions:
  • Freedom of speech
  • Freedom of worship
  • Freedom from want
  • Freedom from fear
  • Emphasis on ramping up military production and initiating the Lend-Lease Program, allowing U.S. to support Allies without immediate repayment.

• Atlantic Charter

  • Drafted in a meeting with Winston Churchill; a statement of shared Allied goals.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

• Context of Japanese Expansion

  • Japan occupied French colonies in Southeast Asia post-French surrender, leading to U.S. export restrictions on vital materials.
  • Diplomatic efforts by Japan stalled as U.S. demands remained unsatisfied leading to:
  • December 7, 1941: Surprise attack on Pearl Harbor at 7:48 a.m.
  • Attack involved two waves from six aircraft carriers resulting in:
  • Major damage to the U.S. Pacific Fleet (four battleships sunk, nearly 200 aircraft destroyed).
  • Civilian and military casualties exceeded 2,400.

• Aftermath

  • Immediate U.S. response escalated public support for war, leading to Roosevelt's declaration of war on Japan (December 8, 1941).
  • Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S. on December 11, solidifying America’s role in the conflict alongside the Allies in World War II.