War Essay, Research Paper

How America Came to War

By

James A. Gillmore

Introduction

On December 29, 1940 Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave a address to the state that was like a? hearth confab? but was non. Roosevelt talked about in his address statements about Germany? s programs to steep the universe during World War II:

? ? The Nazi Masterss of Germany have made if clear that they intend non merely to rule all life and idea in their ain state, but besides to enslave the whole of Europe and so to utilize the resources of Europe to rule the remainder of the universe. ?

This address was one of many that FDR gave to set an terminal to the isolationism of the 1920? s and 30? s.

Although most of Europe was combating in World War II during the late 30? s and 40? s, America was convinced to remain impersonal. Despite the fact that most Americans did non desire to travel to war, FDR thought war was inevitable. The US did non come in the war until they were genuinely straight affected by the war. But many states in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Pacific were contending in the war to support their states against the aggressive powers. The aggressive powers were called The Axis ; they included Italy, Germany and Japan. Those states formed an confederation because of their similarities: they were all ruled under a totalitarian authorities, they shared the same ends, they were really aggressive and ambitious states in hunt of new land and its resources, and they at around the same clip all began suppressing parts of the universe near to them.

The inquiry is how did the war get started? First, the war was ignited when the separate states of the Axis began to carry through their ambitious dreams to suppress land for themselves. They did this with aggressive actions against other states. For illustration, Germany under their dictator Hitler attacked Czechoslovakia, Poland, Austria and other little states around Germany early in the war. Now when three different states are assailing many other different states around the universe, small wars sprout up all over the topographic point. For Germany, the rough fortunes left from the Versailles Treaty of World War I planted seeds for a future war. The Versailles Treaty was truly merely a opportunity for the Allies to acquire retaliation on Germany, non work out the jobs of the yesteryear. Consequently, many jobs and struggles were left over from World War I for Germany and Italy.

So at that clip those three aggressive powers began constructing up their military once more although they were non allowed to harmonizing to the Versailles Treaty. They so began to spread out their single imperiums, which kicked in the confederation system once more because states like Britain and France backed the invaded states, therefore get downing a new World War.

Between Wars ( WW I and WW II )

Twenty-one old ages before World War II began World War I ended. The Central Powers lost against the Allies and were badly punished. Germany entirely was in debt for 33 billion dollars. In entire, 10 million soldiers and civilians were lost their lives in World War I. World War I was caused by great tenseness between many closely jammed chauvinistic, imperialistic and militaristic states which were in demand of? populating space. ? Unfortunately these jobs were non solved by the war and were carried on to World War II.

Harmonizing to George Washington in 1796, ? Europe has a set of primary involvements which to us [ America ] have none or really distant relation. ?

That was the beginning of what we call isolationism. America lived by that case in point until World War I when the US felt it was legitimate to intercede the state of affairs in Europe. After World War I, the United States went back to their old rule, ? We shun political committednesss which might mire us in foreign wars, ? as FDR said in 1936 during the Great Depression. This was America? s scheme in the 1930? s because Americans had their ain jobs to cover with, non personal businesss across the universe that did non concern them.

The United States went through a letup between the wars, from 1918 to 1939. First, the mid-twentiess were a clip of prosperity. The mid-twentiess were called the? Roaring Twentiess? because of the flourishing industries, the lifting stock market and the wealth of Americans. The mid-twentiess were fundamentally happy times, but all good things must come to an terminal. In 1929 a concatenation reaction from downward up to the crashing of the stock market began the Great Depression. The Depression made life even worse for the Germans who had a hard clip reconstructing after the war. But America was hit the worst by the Depression. The Germans turned to Hitler because he promised to convey the state back together. Hitler thought War was the reply to Germany? s jobs, therefore, he began to construct up his military. Hitler assembled the Nazi Party and became dictator of Germany. In 1932 over five million people were idle in Germany and in 1936 fewer than 1 million people were idle, plus the economic system was much better. Naziism brought Germany out of the Depression and prosperity back to the state. As a consequence, Germans joined and supported the Nazi party. To work out Italy? s jobs Benito Mussolini became dictator of Italy and built the Fascist motion. Mussolini besides thought war would bolster his state? s economic system. He invaded Ethiopia and Albania to deflect his state? s people from their jobs at place. At that point both Italy and Germany invaded new district.

Throughout the 1930? s Japan became a really imperialist and militaristic state. While Japan is a little island state, it needs more natural stuffs and it besides needs more? populating space. ? Japan seeks its natural resources and land to the West in Asia. In 1932 the Nipponese took over Manchuria in northeasterly China. Many Pacific islands and parts of China were to follow.

Now the universe had a sum of three aggressive states, which were ready to swoop on any state that came their manner. These three states all did non delight the American involvements. Those states had non-democratic authoritiess, they were rearming, and they were non being peaceable.

Why America Entered World War II

The Allies dismissed the aggression of the Axis, which accordingly led to more aggression because the Axis so believed they could? walk on H2O? as they say for people who think they can make whatever they want and non acquire punished. The isolationist temper the US took in the 1930? s really encouraged the aggressive states. The calmings Britain and France made to the Axis besides encouraged the Axis.

Like in any war when you are non the attacker, but the guardian, to come in the war you have to be provoked. In this instance, Italy, Germany and Japan provoked the United States. Those states have so far provoked America straight, but mildly, and those states besides defied America? s involvements and attacked America? s Alliess. The US was afraid that the state of affairs with the Axis could intensify so far that the Axis could take over the universe or a good part of it.

By now, Japan had attacked Manchuria, China and many islands environing Japan. Italy had invaded Ethiopia, Albania and Northern Africa. Germany had control over the Rhineland, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria and tonss of other district in Europe. The Axis made an understanding? to travel at the same time or to take bends, ? on aggressive actions against other states. The Axis? s overall program now was to seek to rule the universe. In 1936 the US learned of the Axis programs. The US of class wanted to work out this job peacefully.

Japan became an attacker because they needed infinite and natural stuffs, and they got that by taking topographic points that had what they wanted. For many old ages before World War II Japan had been utilizing imperialistic and militaristic ways to get land. The United States would non make anything to halt the Nipponese, but condemn them and assail them verbally. When the Nipponese attacked and killed many people on a US gunboat in Asia called the Panay, the US did nil.

Japan attacked and occupied assorted islands in Pacific. The Japanese invaded the undermentioned topographic points in the Pacific: Burma, Philippines, Midway, Quadalcanal, New Guinea, Tarawa, Kwajalein, the Mariana island of Manila and in conclusion, Okinawa. Before Pearl Harbor was attacked, America was really frightened that Japan might assail the US because of all the adjacent islands in the Pacific that were assaulted. The US was right ; Japan planned to assail America. On November 1, 1941 the Nipponese leaders met to be after an onslaught on the US. They planned the conflict to be in early December at Pearl Harbor, where the Pacific Fleet was. The Japanese were sort of shaky on traveling to war with America though. ? When can we travel to war and win? ? asked a

leader named Kaya.

Another leader, Negano responded, ? The clip for war will non come later. ? And there it was the Nipponese planned to assail Pearl Harbor.

Because of the Nipponese aggression towards China, the US sided with China. The Japanese were really barbarous to the people in the topographic points the Nipponese attacked. The Nipponese ferociousness truly upset the American populace. The US so helped to provide China. Once once more America sided with weak opposed to the strong.

Before America entered the war, they found out about Germany? s programs to occupy South America in Brazil, Chile, and Peru. Germany besides planned to assail the Panama Canal, which is really of import for American sea-trade and for ships to acquire from seashore to seashore. If these programs were true, the US had to set an terminal to them so, so that Hitler did non assail America.

Germany was the most aggressive and powerful state among the Axis. Their blitzkrieg onslaughts and strong military helped to capture many states. In 1935 Hitler announced German rearmament, which was against the Versailles Treaty, and he besides nullified the restrictive military clauses of the pact. This caused other states perturbation, but they were all busy with their ain personal businesss? acquiring through the Great Depression. ? There are two universes that stand opposed to each other, ? Hitler claimed. He means that other signifiers of authorities and Nazism could non stand together, merely one could stand, and that was the Nazi Party.

Congress passed many neutrality Acts of the Apostless on trading with warring states. But bit by bit as people began to follow FDR? s thought of pro-war because of what the Axis has done, the neutrality Acts of the Apostless were changed and repealed. After the autumn of France to Germany, about everyone in the United States swayed to pro-war from isolationism. FDR thought England would be following. If England went, the US would hold no base to land at when assailing Germany. Therefore, America had to protect England. Britain in fact was about defeated harmonizing to American embassador to Britain, Joseph Kennedy. The blitzkrieg air onslaughts on British edifices were enormous and the morale of Britain was even worse.

Roosevelt said:

? Suppose my neighbour? s place gimmicks on fire, and I have a length of a garden hose four or five 100 pess off. If he can take my garden hosiery and connect it up with his water faucet, I may assist him set out the fire? ?

Roosevelt so went on to state in his imperativeness conference on December 17, 1940 that you ask for the garden hosiery back, non the cost of it. This explains Roosevelt? s concluding in assisting America? s friends.

Once most of the neutrality Acts of the Apostless were repealed, the US was free to merchandise every bit much as they pleased with their Allies. The lend-lease act allow the US loan money, nutrient and arms to the Allies. The US became the? Arsenal of Democracy. ? The US had to supply war merchandises to the allied states. ? If Great Britain goes down, the Axis Powers will command the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia and the seas, ? Roosevelt said in his address perpetrating to the entire US support of the Allies. The US ran into more jobs when supplying for the Alliess. The German and some Italian Submarines were assailing American ships bound for chiefly England. On January 30, 1941 the Germans announced that any ships providing the Allies would be torpedoed. So many American ships were sunk that America had to direct vass to escort the merchandiser ships. A vas called the Robin Moor was shot by German Submarines in the Atlantic on May 21, 1941. Eleven US crewmans died on the USS Kearney on October 17, 1941. 115 crewmans were lost on the Reuben James. Because of all the onslaughts on US ships in the

Atlantic, Roosevelt ordered vass to? shoot-on-sight? on German ships or bomber. This undeclared naval conflict chiefly between the US and Germany brought America really near to war. All the US needed to come in the war was an onslaught straight on American dirt.

On December 7, 1941 at 7:55AM Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japan with 94 ships in the seaport. Pearl Harbor was on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu near the metropolis of Honolulu. Almost 400 US aircrafts were lost, over 2,400 people were killed, and much of the US Pacific naval fleet was destroyed. Many battlewagons were lost along with a few aircraft bearers. The Japanese had declared war on the United States. The US so declared war on Japan, and so Italy and Germany of the Axis declared war on the US.

After Pearl seaport was bombed, the American people felt a batch of hatred towards the Japanese. Patriotic Americans were all ready to travel to war.

Feelingss towards War before Pearl Harbor

The general populace of the US disliked the Axis even before Pearl Harbor was bombed. They did non like the Axis? s non-democratic authoritiess of dictators. The populace did non like the aggressiveness of the Axis because they were assailing America? s Alliess. Most Americans before the war began were interested in their ain jobs, viz. the Great Depression. They thought that the war did non hold that much to make with America. The bulk of Americans wanted to do it through the Depression, non do lives worse for themselves by acquiring involved in a war on another continent. Fortunately come ining the war brought the US out of the Depression.

Before Pearl Harbor was bombed President Roosevelt was seeking to convert the state to go less isolationist. Roosevelt did this by establishing a propaganda run to carry Americans to believe that issues in Europe affected Americans besides. Roosevelt thought that war with the Axis was inevitable for America. He believed that deterioration of the economic system in Europe would impact the US after the war:

? No realistic American can anticipate from a dictator? s peace international generousness or return of true independency or universe disarming or freedom of look or freedom of faith? or even good concern, ? Roosevelt said.

A dictator? s peace would convey no security for the US or any state and all the states in the Axis were under a absolutism. Roosevelt tried every bit hard as he could to convert people to travel to war before Pearl Harbor. Prior to the bombardment of Pearl Harbor, FDR got the state prepared for wartime once more by constructing more equipment for the US and edifice up the armed forces. The US was ready to travel to war.

US Reactions towards Provocation

As the United States did non desire to travel to war, we had to react to the aggravation of the Axis somehow. The US cut off trade with Japan and tried to make some kind of understanding but could non. America sent ground forces boats to protect Americans in China. Numerous Americans thought that the Axis had to be stopped before they could? steep? the universe.

FDR thought the lone manner to win peace was by contending and winning the war. Fdr: ? Peace by fright has no higher or more abiding quality than peace by the sword. ? FDR was right ; calming did non maintain the peace. Roosevelt thought it was clip for war in October 1941 and repealed all the staying neutrality acts go forthing the US on the threshold of war. FDR said, ? ? Merely the thinnest of lines separated the United States from war with the Axis. ? FDR thought that non-involvement in war would non vouch peace, because America could be attacked. Roosevelt said in his? Quarantine Speech? that states endangering universe peace should be put under a political? Quarantine? so that the? malignant neoplastic disease? does non distribute.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt seemed to hold the right thought about come ining World War II wholly along, but no 1 listened to him until traveling to war was perfectly necessary. The war could hold been much shorter and less black if the US came into the war straight at the beginning.

Decision, Thesis: The United States Was Justified in Entering World War II

If the United States did non travel to war at that place could hold been many times the harm. And to this twenty-four hours we still might non hold recovered, or in fact we could wholly be under supreme regulation of one dictator. The possibilities are endless of what the Axis could hold done. German nazi could hold enslaved the universe. Fortunately the United States made the wise determination to come in World War II.

Between about 1938 and 1942 the United States put up with a batch of aggression from the Axis Powers to forestall farther war and keep peace. But as the Axis wanted to be world-dominators, there was no halting them by peaceable agencies. As a consequence, the United States took actions after the bombardment of Pearl Harbor and fought back to forestall the overbearing and aggressive states from taking over the universe. In decision, the United States was absolutely justified in come ining World War II to salvage the universe from these three different monsters of society.