Did the United States become the great arsenal of democracy?
By the time the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the United States had fulfilled President Roosevelt’s admonition to become the great arsenal of democracy.
How did the United States become the'arsenal of democracy'?
Nice work! You just studied 25 terms! Now up your study game with Learn mode. The---- Act allowed the united states to become the "Arsenal of democracy," according to Roosevelt, by supplying allies with was materials The battle of the Atlantic featured German------ against Allied shipping.
What did Roosevelt mean by Arsenal of democracy?
Arsenal of Democracy was a phrase used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 – 1945) to describe the United States as he tried to arouse popular support for sending military aid to nations fighting against the Axis powers ( Germany, Italy, and Japan, among others) during World War II (1939 – 1942).
Did Germany have an arsenal of democracy during World War II?
Not to be outdone by the swelling "Arsenal of Democracy," German production increased as well during World War II. New Prime Minister Winston Churchill desperately pleaded with Roosevelt for assistance. In the summer of 1940, Hitler launched Operation Sea Lion, an all-out assault on the British mainland.
How did the US become the arsenal of democracy?
The “arsenal of democracy” slogan was popularized by President Roosevelt in a speech in which he called on the American people to contribute to the war effort by producing the war goods necessary to fight the advance of Nazi Germany.
What act allowed the US to become the arsenal of democracy?
Lend-LeaseThrough Lend-Lease, the United States also succeeded in becoming the “arsenal of democracy” during World War II, thus securing its preeminent place in the international economic and political order once the war drew to a close.
Who became the arsenal of democracy and why?
It is generally agreed that no American city contributed more to the Allied powers during World War II than Detroit. Appropriately, Detroit grew to be known as "The Arsenal of Democracy," a term coined by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during one of his Fireside Chat radio broadcasts.
Why was the United States called the Arsenal of Democracy quizlet?
Terms in this set (20) Why was the United States called the "arsenal of democracy" in 1940? The United States provided much of the weaponry needed to fight the Axis powers.
What does arsenal of democracy mean quizlet?
Arsenal of Democracy. phrase used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to describe the United States as he tried to arouse popular support for sending military aid to nations fighting against the Axis powers during World War II.
What did Neutrality Act allow?
To help Britain and France defeat Germany, Congress passed the Neutrality Act of 1939, which permitted Americans to sell arms to nations at war as long as the nations paid cash.
Why did the US pass the Neutrality Act of 1935?
Between 1935 and 1937 Congress passed three "Neutrality Acts" that tried to keep the United States out of war, by making it illegal for Americans to sell or transport arms, or other war materials to belligerent nations.
What is the primary reason the US became involved in World War II?
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, ended the debate over American intervention in both the Pacific and European theaters of World War II. The day after the attack, Congress declared war on Imperial Japan with only a single dissenting vote.
What did the Lend Lease Act do?
Passed on March 11, 1941, this act set up a system that would allow the United States to lend or lease war supplies to any nation deemed "vital to the defense of the United States."
Why would the nickname for the Lend-Lease Act be called the arsenal of democracy?
In support of Lend-Lease, Roosevelt coined the phrase the "Arsenal of Democracy." He asserted that the United States should not be neutral in the world, but, while still keeping U.S. troops at home, it should assume an active role in arming and supporting countries that were actively defending democracy.
Who coined the phrase arsenal for democracy?
Origins of the phrase In 1918, Doubleday executive Herbert S. Houston analyzed World War I with an article titled "Blocking New Wars". He wrote that American business was the "Protector of Democracy" while the American free press was "one of the most effective weapons in the arsenal of democracy."
What did the Selective Service Act accomplish quizlet?
In May 1917, Congress passed the Selective Service Act, which created a national draft. The act required all men ages 21 to 30 to register for military service at local polling stations. This was the first time the U.S. government had established a draft before entering a war.
What did the Lend Lease Act do?
Passed on March 11, 1941, this act set up a system that would allow the United States to lend or lease war supplies to any nation deemed "vital to the defense of the United States."
What did the Neutrality Act of 1935 forbid?
Between 1935 and 1937 Congress passed three "Neutrality Acts" that tried to keep the United States out of war, by making it illegal for Americans to sell or transport arms, or other war materials to belligerent nations.
What is the cash and carry policy?
Cash and carry was a policy requested by U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on September 21, 1939 to replace the Neutrality Acts of 1936. The revision allowed the sale of materiel to belligerents, as long as the recipients arranged for the transport using their own ships and paid immediately in cash.
What was policy of appeasement?
Instituted in the hope of avoiding war, appeasement was the name given to Britain's policy in the 1930s of allowing Hitler to expand German territory unchecked. Most closely associated with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, it is now widely discredited as a policy of weakness.
What is the Arsenal of Democracy?
For the video game, see Arsenal of Democracy (video game). U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressing the nation. During the Second World War (1939–1945), " Arsenal of Democracy " was the slogan used by U.S . President Franklin D. Roose velt, in a radio broadcast delivered on 29 December ...
What was the impact of the Arsenal of Democracy speech?
Impact. The Arsenal of Democracy exhibit at the Michigan History Museum. The speech reflected the American approach to entry into World War II. It marked the decline of the isolationist and non-interventionist doctrine that had dominated interwar U.S. foreign policy since the United States' involvement in World War I.
What was the name of the treaty between Germany and the Soviet Union that was signed in 1941?
At the time, Germany and the Soviet Union had signed a non-aggression treaty under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, and had jointly affected the Invasion of Poland (1939), a Realpolitik deal that remained effective until Operation Barbarossa, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, in 1941.
What was Roosevelt's call to arms?
Roosevelt's address was "a call to arm and support" the Allies in Europe, and, to a lesser extent, arm and support the Republic of China, in total war against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. "The great arsenal of democracy" came to specifically refer to the industry of the U.S., as the primary supplier of material for the Allied war effort.
What was the military spending on in 1945?
The spending on military production was distributed 32% for aircraft, 14.8% for ships, 25.6% for ordnance (guns, ammunition and military vehicles), 4.9% for electronics, and the remaining 22.7% for fuels, clothing, construction materials, and food. Note that production costs fell steadily—the same item cost much less to produce in 1945 than in 1942. The largest United States military prime contractors are listed below in order of the total value of munitions produced from June 1940 through September 1944. These large firms produced many different items; the aircraft companies assembled parts made by thousands of firms.
What was the only solution to the war?
The only solution was to assist Britain ("the spearhead of resistance to world conquest") while it was still possible. While not explicitly pledging to stay out of the war, he stated that "our national policy is not directed toward war," and argued that helping Britain now would save Americans from having to fight.
What did the President say to the people after establishing the danger?
After establishing the danger, the president then proceeded to request action from the people. He acknowledged a telegram he had received. He refuted its message, which he summarized as "Please, Mr. President, don't frighten us by telling us the facts." The central fact he felt Americans must grasp was the geopolitical Heartland theory: "If Great Britain goes down, the Axis powers will control the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia, and the high seas —and they will be in a position to bring enormous military and naval resources against this hemisphere."
What did the United States do in 1940?
In September 1940, the United States agreed to the transfer of 50 old destroyers to the British fleet in exchange for naval bases in the Western Hemisphere. By directly aiding the Allies, America could no longer hide behind the shield of neutrality. At Roosevelt's urging, Congress authorized the construction of new planes to defend America's coast. Congress also enacted the first peacetime draft in the nation's history in September 1940. The interventionist argument seemed to be prevailing, but debate continued into 1941.
Who argued that the Lend Lease Act allowed the U.S. to carry on a kind of undecla?
Congress eventually approved the Lend-Lease Act, but not without a great deal of debate. Senator Robert Taft argued that the Act allowed the U.S. "to carry on a kind of undeclared war."
What was the purpose of the Neutrality Act of 1939?
There would be no danger to American shipping if the Allies had to carry the supplies on their own ships. Isolationists were concerned, but support for the President's initiative was strong enough. The Neutrality Act of 1939 ended the arms embargo and permitted the sales of munitions on a "cash and carry" basis.
What was the Atlantic Charter?
Roosevelt met with Churchill in the summer of 1941 and agreed to the Atlantic Charter, a statement that outlined Anglo-American war aims. At this point, the United States was willing to commit almost everything to the Allied war machine — money, resources, and diplomacy. The only thing missing was American troops.
What was the end of the American century?
The End of the American Century. 50d. The Arsenal of Democracy. Although short of planes and pilots, the British Royal Air Force managed to hold off Hitler's Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. War had finally come. Two days after Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany, President Roosevelt issued a proclamation ...
What is the second freedom?
The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way — everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want, which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants — everywhere in the world.
What was the purpose of the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies?
The Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies launched a propaganda campaign to mobilize the American public. Groups like the America First Committee, which contained prominent Americans such as Charles Lindbergh, insisted a hemispheric defense was the wisest choice for the United States to follow. A great debate was on.
What was the goal of Roosevelt's speech on December 29, 1940?
On December 29, 1940, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered a speech to the American public in which he urged the United States to become the “Great Arsenal of Democracy.” “The people of Europe who are defending themselves do not ask us to do their fighting. They ask us for the implements of war, the planes, the tanks, the guns, the freighters which will enable them to fight for their liberty and for our security” (Roosevelt, 1940). Following this speech America began to convert to the production of war materials. After Pearl Harbor, the United States fully converted to the production of war materials and became Roosevelt’s “Arsenal of Democracy.”
Why was old equipment and weaponry used in the war?
Older machinery and weaponry was used for representation of the new military machinery the United States had but still largely needed to be produced. There was not enough equipment and war materials to spare for these war games. This represented the need for more production of war materials in the United States.
What was the role of the United States after Pearl Harbor?
After Pearl Harbor, the United States fully converted to the production of war materials and became Roosevelt’s “Arsenal of Democracy.”. In the summer of 1941 major war games were held to determine the military’s readiness for battle.
What was the righteous act?
Righteous ------- were non-jews who assisted Jews during world war II. Gentiles. The---- Act allowed the united states to become the "Arse nal of democracy," according to Roosevelt, by supplying allies with was materials. Lend-lease.
Why did the Japanese form the ----?
The Japanese formed the ---- to create one large entity of oriental nations free form foreign (western) influence.
Overview
"Arsenal of Democracy" was the central phrase used by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a radio broadcast on the threat to national security, delivered on December 29, 1940 — nearly a year before the United States entered the Second World War (1939–1945). Roosevelt promised to help the United Kingdom fight Nazi Germany by selling them military supplies while the Unite…
Origins of the phrase
In 1918, Doubleday executive Herbert S. Houston analyzed World War I with an article titled "Blocking New Wars". He wrote that American business was the "Protector of Democracy" while the American free press was "one of the most effective weapons in the arsenal of democracy."
The concept of America as an actual arsenal came from the American playwright Robert E. Sherwood, who was quoted in the May 12, 1940 New York Times as saying "this country is alrea…
Synopsis
Much of the ending of the speech attempted to dispel complacency. Roosevelt laid out the situation, and then pointed out the flaws in United States isolationism. He mentioned that "Some of us like to believe that even if Britain falls, we are still safe, because of the broad expanse of the Atlantic and of the Pacific."
He refuted this by saying that modern technology had effectively reduced the distances across t…
Impact
The speech reflected the American approach to entry into World War II. It marked the decline of the isolationist and non-interventionist doctrine that had dominated interwar U.S. foreign policy since the United States' involvement in World War I. At the time, while the United States Navy appeared strong and was widely thought to guarantee the Western Hemisphere would be safe from invasi…
United States armament manufacturers
The spending on military production was distributed 32% for aircraft, 14.8% for ships, 25.6% for ordnance (guns, ammunition and military vehicles), 4.9% for electronics, and the remaining 22.7% for fuels, clothing, construction materials, and food. Note that production costs fell steadily—the same item cost much less to produce in 1945 than in 1942. The largest United States military prime contractors are listed below in order of the total value of munitions produced from June 19…
Notes
1. ^ Hooks, Gregory and Leonard E. Bloomquist. "The Legacy of World War II for Regional Growth and Decline: The Cumulative Effects of Wartime Investments on U.S. Manufacturing, 1947–1972". Social Forces, Vol. 71, No. 2 (Dec.,1992), pp. 303–337. Note: See especially the discussion surrounding the table on page 308.
2. ^ Houston, Herbert S. (October 1918). "Blocking New Wars". The Furniture Worker: 364.
References and further reading
• Hyde, Charles K. Arsenal of Democracy: The American Automobile Industry in World War II. Detroit: WSU P, 2013. ISBN 978-0-81-433951-0
• Jordan, Jonathan W. American Warlords: How Roosevelt's High Command Led America to Victory in World War II (NAL/Caliber 2015).
• Kennedy, David M. Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–1945. 1999. pp 468–69. ISBN 978-0-19-514403-1