Ethnic groups, yet faced criticism for how it treated its own dissenters and minorities. This is just over an hour. Good morning, everyone. So, this morning were going to be talking about or rather, we will begin our conversation about neutrality. That conversation will last over the course of several lectures, so well wrap up other countries annuity realities. But this morning were going to really focus on what neutrality looked like and meant for the americans, especially in the first half of the war. So, the thing that i want you to understand the most and this is really vital because its a very different understanding of neutrality than we have today neutrality at the beginning of the war did not mean inactivity. It did not mean passivity. And it most certainly did not mean impartiality. So, if it doesnt mean those things, then what on earth does neutrality mean . The definition of neutrality differs with each country. Some, like belgium, will say that they never gave up their neut