Neutrality to Intervention

      For many Americans of the 1930s it seemed that America's abandonment of isolationist policy that lead to intervention in the Great War, leading to hundreds of thousands of dead Americans, was a major misstep. The promised goals of America entering the war were never achieved, and many Americans were left devastated by the results of the war, the war claiming their friends, family, or loved ones. As result, when tensions across the Atlantic seemed to be boiling into a Second World War, many Americans were very cautious towards any intervention. 

      In the 1930s as signs of war began to show America would pass the Neutrality Acts in attempt to keep America from entering another war. One result of the Neutrality Acts, specifically the Neutrality Act of 1935, was the banning of arm sales and war materials to any nation at war. Another important idea of the time was that of the policy of cash-and-carry. The policy guaranteed payment to American merchants as well as all potential losses being covered by the nation trading with America by having them use only their own ships to trade. The goal was to limit America from appearing one sided in any conflict around the globe to keep America out of another war as well as boost the American economy which was still recovering from the Great Depression. However, as time went on, as it looked like democracy in Europe would finally be snuffed out, new calls of intervention and an abandonment of isolation would rise in American politics.

      These greater worries of the way the war was panning out would gradually lead to greater acceptance of intervention in the war, and specifically for Roosevelt, greater desire to help and intervene on the side of the Allies. Following Germany's invasion of Poland, Roosevelt called for and later Congress would pass the Neutrality Act of 1939, marking a major turning point for America's transition into total intervention with ground, air, and naval troops. As result, Britain and France were able to trade with the Americans, although on a cash-and-carry basis, but now for weapons and other components of the arms industry. Around the same time, Roosevelt would also form a deal with Britain to give Britain 50 naval ships in exchange for British naval bases. The deal, known as the Destroyers-for-bases deal, was another sign of increased American intervention, particularly on the side of the Allies, that would eventually lead to total American intervention. 

      At the end of 1940, roughly a year before Pearl Harbor that would lead to total American intervention in the war, President Roosevelt delivered with radio broadcast that the United States would give help to the United Kingdom in the fight against Nazi Germany via military supplies. The United States was still however, to stay entirely out of the actual fighting. The general idea of Arsenal of Democracy was for America to supply the British in their fight against the Germans while at the same time staying out of actual fighting. More than just supplies however, it was also used to boost Allied confidence against the Germans, with France falling in June of the same year.

      Later in March of 1941, Congress would pass the Lend-Lease Act, giving Roosevelt the authority to order large numbers of U.S. war materials to go to Britain and as time went on, to other Allied nations, such as China and the Soviet Union. At this point in history, Roosevelt was determined to defeat the Nazis, but America was still largely against direct intervention. While America had increased it's efforts in supporting the Allies with military supplies, and was supporting the Allies with all but soldiers, it was still unsure when America would directly intervene with ground forces based on the lack of public support.

       However, on December 7th, 1941, this would all change when the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor. Public support for the war would jump dramatically and Congress would nearly unanimously vote to go to war, with one vote being against going to war. However, the war was only declared against Japan, until four days after the attack when Germany would declare war on the United States to support Japan, officially bringing the United States into the war in Europe.

Sources:

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/lend-lease-act-1

http://www.ushistory.org/us/50d.asp

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fdr-signs-neutrality-act

https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/timeline/factfiles/nonflash/a1138420.shtml

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/american-isolationism