World War II Alliances, German Expasion, and US Foreign Policy

The Formation of Axis Alliances

• The Rome-Berlin Axis ($1936$):

  • Germany and Italy formally recognized their shared political and economic objectives.

  • In $1936$, this recognition culminated in the creation of the Rome-Berlin Axis, establishing a core partnership between the two fascist powers.

• The Anti-Comintern Pact:

  • Germany and Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact.

  • The primary purpose of this agreement was to establish and promise a common front against the spread of Communism.

• Tripartite Agreement on Territorial Expansion:

  • The three powers—Italy, Germany, and Japan—reached a mutual understanding regarding their imperial ambitions.

  • They agreed not to interfere with each others’ attempts to expand their respective territories across the globe.

The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact and the Invasion of Poland

• Allied Concerns and Diplomacy:

  • Great Britain and France became increasingly worried about the high potential for a German invasion of Poland.

  • In response, they initiated negotiations to form a formal alliance specifically designed to protect Poland from German aggression.

• Hitler’s Strategic Maneuvering:

  • Adolf Hitler was fearful of the possibility of an alliance forming between the Soviet Union and Western European powers, which would create a two-front threat.

  • To prevent this, Hitler signed a Non-Aggression Pact with Joseph Stalin.

• Execution of the Invasion:

  • The existence of the Non-Aggression Pact gave Hitler the assurance that he could invade Poland without fear of retaliation from Stalin and the USSR.

  • Following the German invasion of Poland, Great Britain and France fulfilled their commitment and declared war on Germany.

Hitler’s Blitzkrieg and the Fall of France

• The Blitzkrieg Strategy:

  • Hitler employed a specific military strategy known as "blitzkrieg," or "lightning war."

  • The objective of blitzkrieg was to strike opponents with extreme speed and efficiency to achieve a total surprise.

• The Western Offensive (May $1940$):

  • In May of $1940$, German military forces launched coordinated attacks on the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

  • German forces successfully split the Allied Army, which resulted in Allied troops becoming trapped at Dunkirk.

• The Fall of France (June $1940$):

  • In June of $1940$, the French government signed an armistice with Germany.

  • This agreement effectively placed France under German control and military occupation.

Evolution of American Foreign Policy

• The Initial Stance of Isolationism:

  • While President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) explicitly disapproved of the actions taken by the German government, the United States maintained a strict official policy of isolationism.

  • The goal of isolationism was to keep the United States out of foreign conflicts and avoid the entanglements of European warfare.

• The Neutrality Acts:

  • During the $1930s$, the United States Congress passed a series of Neutrality Acts.

  • These laws were designed to prevent the U.S. from taking sides or becoming materially involved in the burgeoning wars in Europe.

• The Lend-Lease Act (March $1941$):

  • By March of $1941$, President FDR successfully persuaded Congress to pass the Lend-Lease Act.

  • This pivotal legislation granted the President the authority to sell or lend essential war materials to any nation deemed to be fighting for the preservation of democracy.