Undeclared War in the Atlantic American History

Undeclared War in the Atlantic

American History

America's move to escort convoys into the Atlantic meant America was ready to enter undeclared naval war with Germany during World War II, and yet these very actions have been subject of many criticisms. That is, many claimed it happened because during the time of this war, the Roosevelt administration did not establish clear defense tactics that would have defended the U.S. during war. The United States may have been a sitting duck until a time when it was attacked. Some claim the U.S. security was deeply influenced by what was going on elsewhere in the world. For example, if Britain were to crumble under the weight of war, then the Axis powers would essential control the resources of the entire Old World. The New World would then be living in war. This paper discusses more about the United States' undeclared war against the Atlantic. It analyses the undeclared war as the United States' defenses against the possible threat of war against Europe. It also reviews the possibility that many believe that it was an action the United States' purposefully to take the U.S. into war with the Axis powers, as a strategic tool toward defeating the Axis powers and Germany's U-boat strategy.

Overview

In September of 1939 President Roosevelt sought support from the Allies although constrained by the Neutrality acts from entering the war in the Atlantic (Kershaw, 2007). President Roosevelt initiated efforts to enter the war against the Nazis only after learning Britain would defy Germany; following this Roosevelt made plans to ship war material and prepared plans for what became the Lend Lease deal (Kershaw, 2007; Bailey & Ryan, 1979). This assisted in financing the British war effort. By the In April of 1941 what had previously been a 300-mile Western Hemisphere Security Zone was extended to include Greenland and the Azores (Kershaw, 2007). Thus, the U.S. navy became authorized to escort British convoys, essentially entering "undeclared war" with Germany in the North Atlantic (Bailey & Ryan, 1979; Kershaw, 2007). Because the Red-Sea was no longer on the list of forbidden combat zones, lend-lease supplies could now reach the British through this route via North Africa. By the end of 1940, America's defense program was well-established and supplies were going to Great Britain. However, by this time, the British were no longer able to pay cash for the war materials they needed. So, President Franklin Roosevelt presented a plan to Congress, wherein he proposed the Lend-Lease bill that would provide large-scale aid to the British and other Allies. In 1941 this bill passed and became a law. Congress funded it with seven billion dollars for materials to go to Allies (Peterson et al., 2009). This act was seen as almost an unofficial declaration of war against the Axis powers, and it strengthened the unwritten alliance between Britain and the United States. At the same time, the Nazi submarines heightened their attacks on British ships in the North Atlantic to stop American supplies from reaching Great Britain. Roosevelt ordered naval vessels to support the British with submarine patrols in the Atlantic.

Many incidents followed; these included the Niblank incident on April 11 when this U.S. destroyer fired charges on the German U-boat, considered the first action by a U.S. Navy vessel beginning the undeclared naval war (Kershaw, 2007). Following this the U.S. navy began observation patrols in the Security Zone. Next, a German U-boat sunk the U.S. freighter Robin Moor on May 21st (Bailey & Ryan, 1979; Kershaw, 2007). Hitler then ordered Donitz's U-boats to avoid U.S. warships; these orders were followed. U-boats were not able to attack their most dangerous enemies following this however, because British and Canadian vessels often intermingled with U.S. (Kershaw, 2007). warships. Thus, German U-boats were forced to endure attacks passively without the ability to counterattack. This was a historic event in history (Kershaw, 2007).

Still at this time the U.S. was not formally engaged in war however. It was not until the Icelandic region invited the U.S. To intervene in their affairs that the U.S. intervened to replace British forces in July that U.S. forces moved further of where the Royal Navy had been battling U-boats (Kershaw, 2007; Baily & Ryan, 1979). War at this point seemed inevitable. Churchill and Roosevelt met privately after this discussing the U.S. entering war formally after this; however, the U.S. continued its commitment to democracy. There was no public outrage regarding the war, and no public affront despite the fact that U-boats sank another U.S. freighter in September of1941 (Kershaw, 2007). Incidents continued to occur. Losses continued to occur. Piracy was said to occur when the U.S. freighter the Greer was sunk later in the year. In November the Senate revised the Neutrality Act allowing merchant vessels to arm themselves and allowing U.S. ships to enter combat zones. The American people followed the President in all acts that were "short of war."

Basically by June of 1941 the United States Navy was actively protecting ships carrying lend-lease materials to Britain, and with this act, the United States was involved in undeclared war against Germany (Patterson, et al., 2009). The actions that finally brought the United States into the war did not occur in the Atlantic, but in the Pacific when the Japanese attacked the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941 (Patterson, et al., 2009). The Japanese attacked because the United States' economic sanctions prevented Japanese expansion into other Far Eastern countries and forced their withdrawal from China, Germany, and Italy. Aside from that, Japans' allies also declared war against the United States, and America was brought into the conflict in Europe and Asia at the same time.

The attack on Pearl Harbor effectively ended the traditional American foreign policy of isolation and non-involvement in world-affairs. America needs to defend itself in a more dynamic way and not just within its borders. Included in this is the idea that the Nazi power had to be broken, as the Nazi's could not be allowed to build up their power by consolidating their position and drawing on the resources of all Europe. Another is the policy of simply preventing the defeat of Britain would not be enough because America will never enter war. And lastly is that the Nazi needed to be struck down. America was aware of the consequences of war in terms of security, politics and economy of the country. But then, America entered the war after Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and right after that Hitler made declaration of war against United States.