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Many accusations came about that arms manufacturers tricked the U.S. into entering World War 1. Senator Gerald P. Nye held hearings for these allegations in 1934. The Nye Committee documented the profits that these arms factories made during the war, which created the impression that the businesses influenced this decision to go to war. This caused many Americans to go to isolationism. -
Congress passed this Act in response of growing Italian and German aggression in Europe, which made it illegal for Americans to sell arms to any country at war. In the text it states, Congress then passed the Neutrality Act of 1937 which continued the ban on selling arms to nations and also buying all supplies from the U.S. on a “cash and carry” basis. Roosevelt supported internationalism. He thought that these Acts would only drag us into war instead of leaving the U.S. out of it. -
The Spanish Civil War contributed to the growing tensions in Europe and to the fear that another war was coming. Despite the many growing tensions in Europe, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor finally brought the United States into World War 2. -
The destroyers for bases deal indicated a change in public opinion. Many Americans favored limited aid to the Allies by July of 1940. Roosevelt then expanded the nation's role in the war, he listed the four freedoms freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear which both the United States and Britain stood for. -
German submarines sank hundreds of thousands of tons of cargo every month. Britain's navy was unable to stop them due to their lack of ships. Roosevelt wasn’t able to help protect the British cargo ships because the United States was still officially neutral. Roosevelt then came up with the hemispheric defense zone, which declared the entire western half of the Atlantic to be neutral. -
Churchill and Roosevelt developed the Atlantic Charter, this committed both nations to a postwar world of democracy, free trade, nonaggression, economic advancement, and freedom of the seas. -
Great Britain wasn’t able to fight in the war anymore due to them running out of funds. Roosevelt then came up with the Lend-Lease Act, which allowed the U.S. to lease or lend arms to any country that was considered vital to the defense of the United States. -
Americans decoded Japanese messages that stated Japan was preparing to go to war against the United States. Japan then had a surprise attack on December 7, 1941. Three cruisers, eight battleships, three destroyers, and four vessels were damaged and sunk. This attack took 2,403 American lives and destroyed over 180 aircrafts. Roosevelt then faced his cabinet and told them that the country faced the most serious crisis since the Civil War. The next day, Congress declared war on Japan.