The Neutrality of American in the Early World War II
The establishment of the Third Reich influenced events in American history by starting a chain of events which
culminated in war between Germany and the United States. The compete destruction of democracy, the persecution of Jews,
the war on religion, the cruelty and barbarism of the Nazis, and especially the plans of Germany and her allies, Italy and
Japan, for world conquest caused great indignation in this country and brought on fear of another world war.
While speaking out against Hitler's atrocities, the American people generally favored is out against policies and
neutrality.
The Neutrality Acts of 1935 and 1936 prohibited trade with any belligerents or loans to them. In 1937 the President
was empowered to declare an arms embargo in wars between nations at his discretion.
American opinion began to change somewhat after President Roosevelt's “quarantine the aggressor” speech at Chicago
(1937) in which he severely criticized Hitler' s policies. Germany's seizure of Austria and the Munich Pact for the partition of
Czechoslovakia (1938) also aroused the American people.
The conquest of Czechoslovakia in March, 1939 was another rude awakening to the menace of the Third Reich. In
August, 1939 came the shock of the Nazi-soviet Pact and in September the attack on Poland and the outbreak of European
war.
The United States attempted to maintain neutrality in spite of sympathy for the democracies arrayed against the Third
Reich. The Neutrality Act of 1939 repealed the arms embargo and permitted “cash and carry” exports of arms to belligerent
nations. A strong national defense program was begun.
A draft act was passed (1940) to strengthen the military services. A Lend-lease Act (1941) authorized the President to
sell, exchange, or lend materials to any country deemed necessary by him for the defense of the United States. Help was
given to Britain by exchanging certain overage destroyers for the right to establish American bases in British territory in the
Western Hemisphere. In August, 1940 President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill met and issued the Atlantic Charter
which proclaimed the kind of a world which should be established after the war.
In December, 1941, Japan launched the unprovoked attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor. Immediately thereafter, Germany declared war on the United States.
