U.S. Neutrality
In general:
- The Neutrality Acts were passed by the US in the 1930s in response to the issues in Europe and Asia that eventually led to World War II
- Acts were caused by the desire to be isolationist following WWI; wanted to stay out of European issues and not become involved and that's why they were passed
Interventionists (help them) vs Isolationists (do nothing)
POWERPOINT ON BRUNS' WEBSITE OVER U.S. NEUTRALITY
Neutrality Act of 1935: banned US trade with countries at war; only lasted about 6 months; signed in August 1935; declared that anyone traveling on ship, especially British ships, was traveling at their own risk because they could get sunk by U-Boats (a warning)
-of 1936: meant to renew the Act of 1935, its main purpose; banned loans with other countries; didn't put restrictions on big companies and oil; didn't include Civil wars either, so we would give supplies to Franco in Spain; couldn't trade with belligerents: a country that is super aggressive and were trying to take over other countries; supposed to last 14 months
-1937: forbade American citizens couldn't travel on belligerent countries' ships; forbade trade with all countries at war, including Civil wars this time; Cash and Carry system added- could permit the sale of goods to belligerents or any country as long as the belligerents came to pick the goods up and paid cash upfront (mainly benefited France and Great Britain), helped so our ships wouldn't get sunk; didn't allow this to China or Japan though; didn't have an expiration
-1939: renewed Cash and Carry system; forbade trade with belligerents; passed in response to Germany invading Poland; US citizens do not enter war zones
Lend-Lease Act/Aid: US would supply France, republic of China, GB, and other allied forces; started 9 months before the Pearl Harbor attack; didn't officially enter US into the war but we weren't really neutral anymore (broke neutrality laws); got rid of Cash and Carry system; "suppliers of war" now; a lot of weapons, food, and even some services; big reason the allies won the war was because of US resources (we could supply not only ourselves but also all our allies)
Bases for Destroyers: between US and United Kingdom; before L-L act; agreed that the US would send over 50 U.S. battleships in exchange for US being able to use British colonies as bases (lots of naval bases in the Caribbean and then Newfoundland and Canada)
Selective Training and Service Act (1940): established the draft (21 to 36 year old men); as we entered the war ages went from 18-45; selected them through a lottery system; no more than 12 months service but grew longer than that as the war broke out
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