long awnser

Question 1

What key events led to war in Europe in the 1930s? Pick 3 and explain them and their significance. (C20S2)

Answer 1

1. Munich Agreement
   The Munich Agreement contributed to the start of World War II by allowing Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia without resistance, essentially emboldening Hitler and demonstrating that appeasement would be used by the Allied powers, leading him to believe he could continue his territorial expansion without significant opposition
2. invasion of poland
   it prompted Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany just two days later, as they had previously pledged to defend Poland against aggression, effectively ending the policy of appeasement and triggering a wider European conflict; this response to the invasion is considered the key factor that launched World War II.
3. Hitlers rise of power
   Hitler’s rise to power in Germany, fueled by his aggressive nationalist and expansionist ideology, directly led to World War II by enabling him to militarize Germany, violate international treaties, and ultimately invade Poland in 1939, which triggered the war declarations from Britain and France against Germany; his unchecked power allowed him to pursue a policy of territorial conquest across Europe without significant opposition from appeasement policies of other nations in the early stages of his regime.

Question 2

How did the US (and FDR) respond to events in Europe? Use three examples to explain how that changed over time. (from C20S1 and S4).

Answer 2

1. lend lease act
   The act was designed to support the Allied powers in World War II without the U.S. directly entering the conflict.
   he act allowed the president to:
   Lend or lease war supplies to nations without expecting repayment
   Receive long-term leases at military bases around the world in exchange for the supplies
   Spend funds allocated by Congress as he saw fit

The act allowed the US to provide war supplies, such as tanks, ammunition, food, and equipment, to Allied nations without expecting repayment.

2. destroyers for bases
   The Destroyers for Bases deal was an agreement between the United States and Britain in 1940 that involved the US transferring 50 World War I-era destroyers to the Royal Navy in exchange for 99-year leases to British bases:

The “Destroyers for Bases” agreement significantly helped the Allies, particularly Britain, by providing them with much-needed older American destroyers to bolster their naval forces during the early stages of World War II, allowing them to better defend against German U-boats in the Atlantic while the US remained technically neutral, ultimately contributing to their ability to continue fighting against the Axis powers; in exchange, the US gained access to British bases in the Western Hemisphere, strengthening its own strategic position.

3. hemispheric defense zone
   The hemispheric defense zone was a strategy developed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to help the United States get supplies and arms to Britain during World War II:
   The United States was technically neutral at the time, so Roosevelt couldn’t order the U.S. Navy to protect British ships from German submarines. Roosevelt declared that the western half of the Atlantic was part of the Western Hemisphere and neutral. He then ordered the U.S. Navy to patrol the western Atlantic and share the location of German submarines with the British.

The Hemispheric Defense Zone helped the Allies by allowing the United States Navy to patrol the western Atlantic Ocean, effectively protecting British cargo ships from German U-boats, even while the U.S. was technically still neutral in World War II, providing crucial support to the Allied war effort without officially entering the conflict.