In this task, you will review two primary sources concerning the responses of Great Britain and the United States to Germany's pre-World War II totalitarian actions.

In September 1938, an agreement was signed by Great Britain, France, Italy, and Germany at the Munich Conference that ceded the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Germany. This was an attempt to avoid war; however, for the next year, Hitler continued to invade regions after the agreement was signed. When he attacked Poland in September 1939, World War II was officially declared. The following excerpt is a printed statement that the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain read as he stepped off a plane on September 30, 1938, after attending the Munich Conference.

"We, the German Führer and Chancellor, and the British Prime Minister, have had a further meeting today and are agreed in recognizing that the question of Anglo-German relations is of the first importance for our two countries and for Europe. We regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again. We are resolved that the method of consultation shall be the method adopted to deal with any other questions that may concern our two countries, and we are determined to continue our efforts to remove possible sources of difference, and thus to contribute to assure the peace of Europe."

In 1939, with war inevitably looming, President Roosevelt called for a special session of Congress to repeal the Neutrality Act of 1937 and replace it with a another one, one that would provide more support to Britain and France. He wanted to repeal enactments that limited the ability to get war supplies to England and France. Remember, the Neutrality Act of 1937 prohibited the shipping of only military supplies and munitions to Allied nations.

When and if—I do not like even to mention the word "if," I would rather say "when"—repeal of the embargo is accomplished, certain other phases of policy reinforcing American safety should be considered. While nearly all of us are in agreement on their objectives, the only questions relate to method. I believe that American merchant vessels should, as far as possible, be restricted from entering war zones. But, war zones may change so swiftly and so frequently in the days to come, that it is impossible to fix them permanently by act of Congress; specific legislation may prevent adjustment to constant and quick change. It seems, therefore, more practical to delimit the actual geography of the war zones through action of the State Department and administrative agencies. The objective of restricting American ships from entering such zones may be attained by prohibiting such entry by the Congress; or the result can be substantially achieved by executive proclamation that all such voyages are solely at the risk of the American owners themselves.

The second objective is to prevent American citizens from traveling on belligerent vessels, or in danger areas. This can also be accomplished either by legislation, through continuance in force of certain provisions of existing law, or by proclamation making it clear to all Americans that any such travel is at their own risk.

The third objective, requiring the foreign buyer to take transfer of title in this country to commodities purchased by belligerents, is also a result that can be attained by legislation or substantially achieved through due notice by proclamation.

The fourth objective is the preventing of war credits to belligerents. This can be accomplished by maintaining in force existing provisions of law, or by proclamation making it clear that if credits are granted by American citizens to belligerents, our Government will take no steps in the future to relieve them of risk or loss.

The result of these last two objectives will be to require all purchases to be made in cash, and all cargoes to be carried in the purchasers' own ships, at the purchasers' own risk.

Two other objectives have been amply attained by existing law, namely, regulating collection of funds in this country for belligerents, and the maintenance of a license system covering import and export of arms, ammunition and implements of war. Under present enactments, such arms cannot be carried to belligerent countries on American vessels, and this provision should not be disturbed.

Connect and Reflect

Consider what would have happened if the United States did not adopt a policy of isolationism after World War II. Suppose the US decided that spreading democracy should have been the country's goal. What might have happened?

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23-05-2024
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In this task, you will review two primary sources concerning the responses of Great Britain and the United States to Germany's pre-World War II totalitarian actions.

In September 1938, an agreement was signed by Great Britain, France, Italy, and Germany at the Munich Conference that ceded the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Germany. This was an attempt to avoid war; however, for the next year, Hitler continued to invade regions after the agreement was signed. When he attacked Poland in September 1939, World War II was officially declared. The following excerpt is a printed statement that the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain read as he stepped off a plane on September 30, 1938, after attending the Munich Conference.

"We, the German Führer and Chancellor, and the British Prime Minister, have had a further meeting today and are agreed in recognizing that the question of Anglo-German relations is of the first importance for our two countries and for Europe. We regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again. We are resolved that the method of consultation shall be the method adopted to deal with any other questions that may concern our two countries, and we are determined to continue our efforts to remove possible sources of difference, and thus to contribute to assure the peace of Europe."

In 1939, with war inevitably looming, President Roosevelt called for a special session of Congress to repeal the Neutrality Act of 1937 and replace it with a another one, one that would provide more support to Britain and France. He wanted to repeal enactments that limited the ability to get war supplies to England and France. Remember, the Neutrality Act of 1937 prohibited the shipping of only military supplies and munitions to Allied nations.

When and if—I do not like even to mention the word "if," I would rather say "when"—repeal of the embargo is accomplished, certain other phases of policy reinforcing American safety should be considered. While nearly all of us are in agreement on their objectives, the only questions relate to method. I believe that American merchant vessels should, as far as possible, be restricted from entering war zones. But, war zones may change so swiftly and so frequently in the days to come, that it is impossible to fix them permanently by act of Congress; specific legislation may prevent adjustment to constant and quick change. It seems, therefore, more practical to delimit the actual geography of the war zones through action of the State Department and administrative agencies. The objective of restricting American ships from entering such zones may be attained by prohibiting such entry by the Congress; or the result can be substantially achieved by executive proclamation that all such voyages are solely at the risk of the American owners themselves.

The second objective is to prevent American citizens from traveling on belligerent vessels, or in danger areas. This can also be accomplished either by legislation, through continuance in force of certain provisions of existing law, or by proclamation making it clear to all Americans that any such travel is at their own risk.

The third objective, requiring the foreign buyer to take transfer of title in this country to commodities purchased by belligerents, is also a result that can be attained by legislation or substantially achieved through due notice by proclamation.

The fourth objective is the preventing of war credits to belligerents. This can be accomplished by maintaining in force existing provisions of law, or by proclamation making it clear that if credits are granted by American citizens to belligerents, our Government will take no steps in the future to relieve them of risk or loss.

The result of these last two objectives will be to require all purchases to be made in cash, and all cargoes to be carried in the purchasers' own ships, at the purchasers' own risk.

Two other objectives have been amply attained by existing law, namely, regulating collection of funds in this country for belligerents, and the maintenance of a license system covering import and export of arms, ammunition and implements of war. Under present enactments, such arms cannot be carried to belligerent countries on American vessels, and this provision should not be disturbed.

Connect and Reflect

Consider what would have happened if the United States did not adopt a policy of isolationism after World War II. Suppose the US decided that spreading democracy should have been the country's goal. What might have happened?

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