1)The Diplomacy of the New Era
a)Replacing the League
i)Harding administration sought to negotiate separate peace treaties w/ Central Powers, find impermanent way to replace League as guarantor of world peace
ii)Washington Conference of 1921 sought to deal w/ naval arms race btwn US, GB, Japan: Five-Power Pact limited armaments; Nine-Power Act continued Chinese Open Door policy; Four-Power Act acknowledged Pacific territories
iii)Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928 btwn 14 nations to outlaw war as policy measure
iv)New Era efforts to protect peace w/o active international duties
b)Debts and Diplomacy
i)Diplomacy used to ensure free overseas trade thru reducing war and making financial arrangements w/ other nations
ii)US prosperity depended on Eur economy, which was suffering from war destruction, Allied debt on US loans, Central reparations US acted to head off collapse thru 1924 Dawes Plan that created circular loan system where US loaned Germany money to pay GB + French debt who used $ to pay US debt
iii)System led to increase in Eur debt, US banks and corporations took advantage of collapsed industries to assert themselves; high US tariffs under Republicans prevented Eur export of goods to earn money to repay loans
iv)US economic expansion into Latin America during 1920s to better access rich natural resources, give loans to governments
c)Hoover and the World Crisis
i)Stock market crash of 1929 and worsening problems after 1931, growing nationalism + new hostile governments faced by Hoover administration
ii)Hoover promised to recognize new Latin American govt if any collapsed, did not intervene some defaulted on US loans (against M. Doctrine + R.Corollary)
iii)In efforts to restore Eur economic stability Pres refused to cancel debts- some nations defaulted; 1932 World Disarmament Conference ended in failure
iv)Difficulties increased b/c of control by Benito Mussolini’s nationalistic Fascist Party in Italy & Adolf Hitler’s Nationalist Socialist Party (Nazis)
v)Crisis in Asia when in 1931 Japanese military staged coup against liberal govt b/c it had allowed China’s leader Chiang Kai-Shek to expand his power in Manchuria (which had been economically dominated by Japan) Japan invaded Manchuria + then China itself (Hoover refused to issue sanctions)
vi)Interwar diplomacy of international voluntary cooperation and refusal to actively commit itself a failure; nation could now adopt internationalism or become even more nationalistic + isolated would try measures of both
2)Isolationism and Internationalism
a)Depression Diplomacy
i)Early Roosevelt admin foreign policy concerned mainly w/ pressing economic issues- sought to differ from Hoover by solving war debts + adopting gold standard. However, 1933 World Economic Conference accomplished little
ii)FDR forbid continuation of circular loan system, did little to stabilize international currencies; did adopt Reciprocal trade Agreement Act of 1934 to advance principles of free trade
b)American and the Soviet Union
i)FDR agreed to recognize Soviet Union in 1933 in hopes of increasing trade btwn nations (not b/c of lessening of hatred toward Communism)
c)The Good Neighbor Policy
i)“Good Neighbor Policy” toward Latin America focused on trade reciprocity (free trade);1933 Inter-American Conference administration officially pledged to not intervene in affairs of Latin nations. Closer economic ties emerged
d)The Rise of Isolationism
i)Geneva Conference on disarmament disbanded and Japan withdrew from 1921 Washington Conference; agreements of 1920s collapsed during 1930s
ii)Many Americans supported isolationism b/c internationalism of League of Nations failed to restrain Japanese Asian aggression, belief US business interests had led to WW I involvement; FDR helpless to change tide
iii)Neutrality Acts of 1935, ’36, ’37 meant to prevent issues of WWI from allowing US entrance into new war- “neutral rights” of US citizens defined, “cash-and-carry” policy allowed only nonmilitary goods to be sold to warring countries who had to provide own transportation
iv)Military neutrality upheld after Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia and during Spain’s civil war btwn fascist Falangists + repub govt
v)Alarm over Japan’s 1937 new assaults into China (after 1931 Manchuria invasion) led FDR to question isolationism, delivered “Quarantine speech” saying aggressors should be prevented from spreading war; speech unpopular
e)The Failure of Munich
i)In 1936 Hitler moved army into demilitarized Rhineland, 1938 invaded Austria to create union (anschluss) + demanded Czechoslovakia cede Sudetenland to increase lands for Germans to live (lebensraum); 1938 Munich Conference GB + France appeased Hitler for promise would be last expansion
ii)1939 “appeasement” collapsed w/ German invasion of whole Czechoslovakia and then Poland- GB + France honored defense agreement w/ Poland, in September declared war against Germany
3)From Neutrality to Intervention
a)Neutrality Tested
i)Most Americans supported Allies, FDR wanted to grant assistance by allowing arms sales to belligerents using “cash-and-carry” policy
ii)Quiet “phony war” period shattered by spring 1940 German blitzkrieg invasion of W. Eur, by June France had fallen + GB retreated at Dunkirk
iii)Roosevelt increased aid to Allies + monies for US self-defense, “scraped bottom of the barrel” to give GB’s Churchill war materials
iv)FDR able to take steps b/c public opinion shift after fall of France Germany now seen as threat to US by majority; debate still btwn “interventionists” who wanted increased US war involvement and “isolationist” America First Committee supported by many Repubs
b)The Third-Term Campaign
i)Roosevelt sought 3rd term in 1940 presidential election; Repubs nominated Wendell Willkie. Roosevelt won election w/ heavy measure of support
c)Neutrality Abandoned
i)After election Roosevelt changed US war role-- cash-short GB extended “lend-lease” agreement that allowed sale but also lending of armaments, began ensuring shipments reached GB by Navy patrolling Atlantic for subs
ii)After Germany broke 1939 Nazi-Soviet Pact by invading the USSR, US extended “lend-lease” to Russians; Nazi subs began attacking US ships, Congress voted to allow arming of merchants + US attacks on subs
iii)1941 Churchill and Roosevelt released Atlantic Charter tying two nations together to war aims to destroy “Nazi tyranny”
d)The Road to Pearl Harbor
i)1940 Japan signed Tripartite Pact allying itself w/ Germany and Italy; in spite of Roosevelt denouncing Japanese aggression in 1941 it invaded Indochina
ii)US froze Jap assets + placed trade embargo preventing Japan from buying impt supplies (including oil). Tokyo attempted to negotiate w/ US to continue flow of supplies, but Jap PM Konoye forced out of office by Gen Hideki Tojo
iii)Tojo govt refused to recognize US calls to guarantee Chinese territorial rights so negotiations broke down, by November war imminent; on December 7, 1941 Jap aircraft carriers attacked US Pacific Navy HQ at Pearl Harbor
iv)US lost 8 battleships, 2,000 soldiers dead, US Pacific forces weakened; resulted in unifying American ppl into commitment to war
v)December 8, 1941 US declared war on Japan; December 11 Germany and Italy declared war on US, likewise same say us declared war on them
