Chapter 32 Flashcards
London Conference
In the summer of 1933, 66 nations sent delegates to the London Economic Conference. The delegates hoped to coordinated an international response to the global depression. They wanted to stabilize currencies and the rates at which they could be exchanged.
President Roosevelt opposed the conference because he did not want any interference with his own plans to fix the American economy.
Without support from the United States, the London Economic Conference fell apart. The collapse strengthened the global trend towards nationalism, while making international cooperation increasingly difficult.
Soviet Union
In 1933, Roosevelt formally recognized the Soviet Union, opening up trade and fostering a friendship to counter-balance the threat of German power in Europe and Japanese power in Asia.
Tydings-McDuffie Act
Continuing the nation’s isolationist policies, President Roosevelt withdrew from Asia. Congress passed the Tydings-McDuffie Act in 1934, providing independence to the Philippines by 1946. The nation did not want to have to support the Philippines if Japan attacked it.
Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act
Congress passed the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act in 1934, which was designed to lower the tariff. This act allowed the President to lower tariffs with a country if that country also lowered their tariffs. Secretary of State Hull succeeded in negotiating pacts with 21 countries by the end of 1939.
Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936, and 1937
Congress sought to keep America out of war by passing the Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936, and 1937. The acts stated that when the president proclaimed the existence of a foreign war, certain restrictions would automatically go into effect. In regards to countries that were involved in a war (victim or aggressor), no American could legally sail on one of their ships, sell or transport munitions to them, or give them loans.
Quarantine Speech
FDR gave his Quarantine Speech in 1937, in which he proposed economic embargos against the aggressive dictators. The public opposed this, so FDR did not follow through with his plan.
Hitler Stalin Pact
The Hitler-Stalin pact meant that Germany could make war on Poland and the Western democracies without fear of retaliation from the Soviet Union.
phony war
The months after the fall of Poland were known as the “phony war” because France and the U.K. were not really militiarily involved in the war, yet.
Lend-Lease Bill
Fearing the collapse of Britain, Congress passed the Lend-Lease Bill in 1941, under the pretense of defending America. It allowed America to lease arms to the democracies of the world that needed them. (Europeans didn’t have the cash to buy the arms; cash was required by the Neutrality Act of 1939.) When the war was over, the guns and tanks could be returned. Opponents of the bill, like Senator Taft, criticized it, saying that the arms would be destroyed and unable to be returned after the war. It was pitched as a program that would allow the democracies to win the war and keep it away from America.
Atlantic Conference
In August 1941, Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met and came up with the eight-point Atlantic Charter at the Atlantic Conference. It discussed the goals of the war. Among other things, it promised that there would be no territorial changes contrary to the wishes of the inhabitants; it affirmed the right of a people to choose their own form of government; and it declared for disarmament of the aggressors.
Pearl Harbor
On “Black Sunday” December 7, 1941, Japanese bombers attacked Pearl Harbor, killing 2,348 people. (List of those who died) Most of America’s battleships were significantly damaged, but its 3 Pacific-fleet aircraft carriers were spared because they were out of the harbor.
On December 8, the U.S. declared war on Japan. On December 11, 1941, Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S. The U.S. followed suit by declaring war on them.
Washington Naval Treaty
In 1934, Japan terminated the Washington Naval Treaty and accelerated their construction of large battleships.
Johnson Debt Default
In 1934, Congress passed the Johnson Debt Default Act, preventing debt-dodging nations from borrowing further from the United States.
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939 started when Spanish rebels, led by fascist General Francisco Franco, rose against the left-wing republican government in Madrid. Aided by Mussolini and Hitler, Franco overthrew the Loyalist regime, which was supported by the Soviet Union. This war was a “dress rehearsal” for World War II because it involved many of the same countries.
Hitler Stalin Pact
On August 23, 1939, the Soviet Union signed a nonaggression treaty with Hitler. The Hitler-Stalin pact meant that Germany could make war on Poland and the Western democracies without fear of retaliation from the Soviet Union.
