Neutrality Act of 1939

E202506

The Neutrality Act of 1939 was a U.S. law that revised earlier neutrality legislation by allowing arms sales to nations at war on a “cash-and-carry” basis, marking a shift toward aiding the Allies before America’s entry into World War II.

All labels observed (4)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal statute ⓘ
neutrality law ⓘ
aimedAt maintaining formal U.S. neutrality while aiding nations opposing the Axis powers ⓘ
appliesTo U.S. citizens ⓘ
U.S. shipping ⓘ
export of arms and munitions ⓘ
chamberInvolved United States House of Representatives ⓘ
United States Senate ⓘ
country United States ⓘ
dateEnacted 1939-11-04 ⓘ
effectiveDate 1939-11-04 ⓘ
geopoliticalImpact facilitated British and French access to American arms early in World War II ⓘ
historicalContext prelude to United States entry into World War II ⓘ
historicalPeriod interwar period ⓘ
inForceDuring early years of World War II prior to U.S. entry in 1941 ⓘ
intendedBeneficiary Allied powers ⓘ
linked to: Allied forces

France ⓘ
United Kingdom ⓘ
intendedEffect to strengthen the Allies without direct U.S. military involvement ⓘ
jurisdiction United States federal government ⓘ
language English ⓘ
legalForm public law ⓘ
legalStatus superseded ⓘ
legislativeBody United States Congress ⓘ
mainProvision allowed sale of arms and war materials to belligerent nations on a cash-and-carry basis ⓘ
lifted the arms embargo imposed by earlier Neutrality Acts ⓘ
maintained prohibition on American ships entering war zones designated by the President ⓘ
maintained restrictions on American citizens traveling on belligerent ships ⓘ
required purchasing nations to pay cash for arms ⓘ
required purchasing nations to transport arms in their own ships ⓘ
marksShiftToward greater U.S. support for Allied powers ⓘ
partOf series of U.S. Neutrality Acts ⓘ
policyArea foreign policy ⓘ
international trade regulation ⓘ
national security ⓘ
precedes Lend-Lease Act of 1941 ⓘ
linked to: Lend-Lease program
presidentAtEnactment Franklin D. Roosevelt ⓘ
relatedConflict World War II ⓘ
relatedTo American isolationism ⓘ
cash-and-carry policy ⓘ
restrictionType limited U.S. exposure to submarine warfare risks ⓘ
prohibited U.S. ships from carrying arms to belligerents ⓘ
revises Neutrality Act of 1935 ⓘ
Neutrality Act of 1936 ⓘ
Neutrality Act of 1937 ⓘ
signedBy Franklin D. Roosevelt ⓘ
sponsorPosition Roosevelt administration foreign policy initiative ⓘ
subjectOf debate between isolationists and interventionists in the United States ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (8)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

76th United States Congress → enacted → Neutrality Act of 1939 ⓘ
An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States → replacedPolicy → Cash and Carry provisions of the Neutrality Acts ⓘ
linked to: Neutrality Act of 1939
Cash and carry policy → legalBasis → U.S. Neutrality Acts ⓘ
linked to: Neutrality Act of 1939
Cash and carry policy → relatedTo → Neutrality Act of 1939 ⓘ
Neutrality Act of 1939 → revises → Neutrality Act of 1937 ⓘ
linked to: Neutrality Act of 1939
Neutrality Act of 1936 → relatedTo → Neutrality Act of 1937 ⓘ
linked to: Neutrality Act of 1939
Neutrality Act of 1936 → relatedTo → Neutrality Act of 1939 ⓘ
Neutrality Act of 1935 → relatedTo → Neutrality Act of 1939 ⓘ