The Great Depression, the New Deal, and World War II 233city of Dunkirk in late May. Over 300 , 000 British and French troops
were rescued by 861 ships of all sizes and types. Chamberlain resigned his
office and was succeeded on May 11 by Winston Churchill. Germany now
occupied much of the European continent, including all of northern and
western France, since Paris had fallen on June 16 and the French govern-
ment had asked for an armistice. What was left of France was turned over
to a hastily formed government centered in Vichy under a rabid anticom-
munist, the aged Marshal Henri- Philippe Pétain. Italy declared war
against France and England, and it was feared that the Nazis would
launch an all-out invasion of Great Britain from France and Norway. But
Hitler turned his attention to the Balkans, overran Romania and Bul-
garia, and swept up Yugo slavia and Greece.
Fearing that the United States would soon be drawn into the con-
fl ict, Roo sevelt asked Congress for an appropriation of $ 1. 2 billion for
defense and signed the first Revenue Act of 1940 , which raised the fed-
eral debt limit to $ 4 billion. He also asked for and received passage of
the Selective Service Act (or draft) on September 16 , the fi rst enacted
in peacetime. This legislation provided for the registration of all males
between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-five for a one-year training
program. The first draftees were selected on October 29.
It was obvious that the United States was sympathetic to the Allies’
cause, and Roo sevelt acted accordingly. In September he transferred
fifty old but still serviceable American destroyers to Britain so that the
Royal Navy could hunt Nazi submarines and convoy merchant ships
safely across the oceans. In return the United States received the use of
eight naval bases from Newfoundland to British Guiana.
With a presidential election approaching in the fall of 1940 , both
major parties actively advocated increased aid to Great Britain. The
Republicans had expected to nominate a staunch midwestern anti-
interventionist, such as Senators Arthur H. Vandenberg of Michigan or
Robert A. Taft of Ohio. But Americans panicked over the demonstra-
tion of German military might as it powered its way across Europe and
brought about the collapse of the French government. So, at their con-
vention, the Republican delegates chose instead Wendell L. Willkie of
New York, who was the president of an important utilities company and
a former Democrat, who actively advocated additional aid to Britain.
His running made was Senator Charles L. McNary of Oregon.