The Road to WW2, 1931-1941

The Road to WW2, 1931-1941


  • (US makes navel agreement that restricted the sizes of navies

  • Other countries agreed because the US would otherwise make massive navies other countries could not.)


Japanese Expansion in the Far East:

  • Japanese start moving out

  • In 1900 they start a war with Russians and win

  • Around 1910 they invade Korea

  • Manchuria 1931

    • Japan invade

    • Manchuria is near Russia

    • They make a state called Manchukuo

    • Japanese have taken over part of China

  • US Response:

  • In doing so they violate the Open Door Policy

    • Did not receive much backlash due to the US being in the Great Depression

    • Japanese leave the League of Nations



Fascism in Europe:

  • Italy-Mussolini

    • Italians fight in WW1 and lose people/resources

    • Benito Mussolini comes into power

      • Fascist party

      • Promises to return Italy to its former glory

  • Germany-Hitler

    • Comes into power after Mussolini

    • Born in Austria 

    • Served in WW1 as a corporal

    • Nazism

      • Started around a group of the disgruntled veterans who felt that Germany had not technically lost the war and only lost because of politicians

      • Hitler is sent in as a spy, but agrees with their opinions and joins the party

      • Eventually he becomes chancellor of Germany

      • He rises to power in 1933

    • Holocaust

      • Starts in 1930s with laws restricting the liberties 


The US Seeks Protection in Isolation:

  • Gerald Nye:

    • Senator 

    • He had a group of people who supported him, and he had a list of things he thought got into WW1

    • The US sold munitions to the Allied powers in WW1 and the US got involved in the war to save their money and ensure those countries paid their debts

  • Peace Movements in the 1930s:

    • There was a big push for peace from Americans in the 30s

  • Neutrality Act of 1937:

    • Italy attacks Ethiopia

    • Little global response

      • League of nations can't do anything

    • Temporary act of neutrality

      • No sale of war materials (to countries at war)

      • No loans (to countries at war)

      • “Cash and Carry”

        • If they want to buy anything they cannot pay with credit and they will transport the goods themself)

      • No Americans on ships belonging to countries of war


(1936- Spanish Civil War)


  • The Axis Powers Move Toward War, 1937-1939

    • Japan Attacks China, 1937:

      • China has massive army 

    • US Reaction:

      • Japan did not technically declare war on China so the US can get involved

      • AEG goes to China

      • Roosevelt covertly helps Chinese

      • Quarantine Speech

        •   

      • Panay Incident

        • US warship the USS Panay travels along China to protect shipments

        • Japanese warplanes attack and kill part of the crew (1937)

        • Japanese apologize

        • The US does not go to war despite this

      • Fascist Expansion in Europe:

        • Austria, 1938

          • Austria decides to join Germany

        • Czechoslovakia, 1938-1939

          • Occupied by the Germans

        • Sudetenland:

          • Area where most Germans live

          • Czechs do not want to give up that land possibly because that was where most of their industry was

          • Czechs were ready to fight for that land

        • Munich Conference:

          • There was a conference to settle this peacefully

          • British, Germans, Italians, French

          • Agree that the Germans can have that land



WW2 Begins in Europe, September 1939

  • Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, 1939:

    • Agree to not attack each other for 10 years

    • Soviets would not help defend Poland 

  • Invasion of Poland:

    • Germans invade Poland September 1, 1939

    • Poland collapses 


FDR’s Position on the War

  • Does not approve of Hitler

  • The US is still pro neutrality

  • He has to shift american opinion


From Neutrality to Undeclared War in Europe, 1939-1941:

  • Neutrality Act of 1939

    • FDR convinces Congress to change the neutrality act to allow sales of weapons to countries opposing Germany

    • May 1940, Germany invades France through Belgium 

    • French lose 100k men

  • Destroyers for Bases Act 1940:

    • Destroyers were used to combat submarine warfare

    • Germans used submarines again

    • FDR made a deal to give 50 destroyers to the British in return for access to their ports 

  • (Election of 1940- Wendell Wilikie)

    • FDR ran for a third term

    • Wendell Wilikie 

      • Republicans

      • Rich industrialist

      • He says FDR would get Americans involved in war

      • FDR wins

  • Lend-Lease Act, 1941:

    • This act allows the president to lend, lease, or give war material to any countries in war whose defense is necessary for the US.

    • To have Great Britain fight in the war w/o US involvement

    • British get large amounts of material

  • Germany Attacks Russia, June 1941:

    • Germans invade Soviet Union

    • Violates their treaty

  • Patrolling the North Atlantic

    • The US send supplies to Iceland and patrol the Atlantic 

    • Do not go into the warzone

    • Greer Incident:

      • WW1 Destroyer

      • It is patrolling the North Atlantic

      • The British signal that there is a German submarine in the area

      • The German submarine fires a shot at the Greer

      • The Greer drops explosives (death charges)

      • No one is hurt

      • Survived attack

    • Kearny:

      • Another US destroyer hit by Germans 

      • September-October

      • Survived attack

    • Reuben James

      • Another US destroyer that is destroyed by the Germans 

      • There is significant loss of life

      • FDR allows the navy to attack Germans on sight

      • Germans supposedly thought the ship was British 


The Move Toward War with Japan, 1939-1941:

  • Japanese Expansion Continues:

    • Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere:

      • To have Asians rule over their own territory

    • French Indochina

      • Modern day Vietnam

      • Hanoi, 1940

        • The Japanese take over Hanoi

        • There is little backlash as the US is preoccupied

    • Tripartite Act, 1940:

      • September 27, 1940

      • Germany, Italy, and Japan

      • They will all cooperate with each other 

    • Unsuccessful Negotiations, 1941:

      • FDR tries to negotiate with Japan 

      • Saigon, 1941:

        • Japanese take over Saigon

      • FDR stops selling anything that could possibly be used in the war effort

    • Final Deadlock, October-December 1941:

      • A high level ambassador is sent to the US

      • Two ambassadors now try to negotiate with the US

      • The US has broken the diplomatic code and can read correspondence between Tokyo and the ambassadors

      • There is a message that says that upon the 14th part of this message the ambassadors have to destroy all their decoding tools

      • This signals that the Japanese ambassadors will be leaving, possibly due to the outbreak of war against the US 

      • The US sends out a telegram stating that the negotiations have broken down and the Japanese are expected to attack


Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941:

  • Pearl Harbor is resource heavy

  • It is not being protected due to countries being preoccupied

  • The Japanese want to take out the US Pacific fleet which would allow them to access this resource heavy area

  • The Japanese sink 5 battleships

  • They shoot up the airfields

  • Massive attack and win for Japan

  • 2-3k men are lost

  • American neutrality is done

  • Almost unanimous vote to go to war


Hitler declares war on the US days later.