WHY DIDN'T THE USA JOIN WWII IN 1939?
World War II began in September of 1939 when both Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany followings its invasion of Poland. While other allied nations such as Canada and Australia joined Britain and France in their fight against Nazi aggression in Europe, the United States remained on the outside.
The United States would not join the Allied war effort until 1941 when it was attacked by the Japanese Empire in Pearl Harbor on December 7th. So, why then did the United States not join the war effort before the Pearl Harbor attack?
In order to understand this decision by the United States, it is first important to understand the foreign policy of the time and lack of support for war by the American public. The world was only 20 years removed from World War I which shocked Americans to the realities of war and the brutality of trench warfare. In general, the American public were not ready for another major conflict after World War I stayed for so long as a stalemate and the cost of life that the First World War caused. The United States in 1939 was not the military powerhouse it is today and it was a considerable risk to the United States to participate in another worldwide conflict.
As well, many Americans viewed the development of dictators in Europe following World War I as a sign that World War I ended in failure and many wanted to remain separate as to not get pulled into another major conflict. In fact, many Americans viewed World War II as a European problem and did not necessarily see America as having a large role to play.
The United States would not join the Allied war effort until 1941 when it was attacked by the Japanese Empire in Pearl Harbor on December 7th. So, why then did the United States not join the war effort before the Pearl Harbor attack?
In order to understand this decision by the United States, it is first important to understand the foreign policy of the time and lack of support for war by the American public. The world was only 20 years removed from World War I which shocked Americans to the realities of war and the brutality of trench warfare. In general, the American public were not ready for another major conflict after World War I stayed for so long as a stalemate and the cost of life that the First World War caused. The United States in 1939 was not the military powerhouse it is today and it was a considerable risk to the United States to participate in another worldwide conflict.
As well, many Americans viewed the development of dictators in Europe following World War I as a sign that World War I ended in failure and many wanted to remain separate as to not get pulled into another major conflict. In fact, many Americans viewed World War II as a European problem and did not necessarily see America as having a large role to play.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
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Politically, the United States struggled with the question of joining the war before it did. Some in America believed that the United States should join to support its allies and stop the spread of fascism. This opinion grew in popularity among American politicians after major German advances in Europe, including: the German advances in Denmark, and the surrender of France to German forces. This viewpoint argued that American forces were needed to help Britain fight off the aggressive and powerful German forces. On the other hand, some believed that the advances of the German army in Europe proved that the United States should remain out of the conflict, as the German forces were seen as too strong. For example, Joseph P. Kennedy, who was the American ambassador to Great Britain, held this view and argued that America risked losing if it went up against Nazi Germany. Although the United States did not join direct warfare until 1941 when it was attacked, it did support the Allied effort in the war during the previous years through the Lend-Lease Act. Passed in March of 1941, the Lend-Lease Act allowed President Roosevelt to support the forces of Britain, the Soviet Union and China with ammunition and weapons shipments.
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In the end, the United States was forced into the war on December 7th, 1941 when Japan surprise attack the United States at Pearl Harbor. With the help of American troops, the Allies were able to push back Germany in Europe by 1944 and the United States ended World War II in August of 1945 with the atomic bombing of Japan.