Why did the United States enter World War II?
America tried to stay neutral, yet in the face of impending war we
slowly become more involved. Long before we entered the war FDR said
this:
Innocent peoples are being cruelly sacrificed to a
greed for power and supremacy…Let no one imagine that America will
escape…There is no escape through mere isolation or
neutrality…War is a contagion, whether it be declared or not. It
seems unfortunately true that the epidemic of lawlessness is
spreading. When an epidemic of physical disease starts to spread, the
community joins in a quarantine of the patients in order to protect
the health of the community against the spread of the disease. I call
today for a similar quarantine. A quarantine of the lawless, a
quarantine of those that threaten world peace.
–Franklin Delano Roosevelt, The Quarantine Speech, 10/5/37
As the depression swept through the United States it also laid
waste to the continent of Europe. America wrapped itself in the
cocoon of isolationism and took a rather dim view of the affairs of
Europe. We were concerned about preserving our way of life but little
did we know that the greatest threat to the American way of life lie
in the continent we so casually regarded. As America embraced
democracy and a modified capitalism many European turned to fascism
and aggression. It would only be a matter of time before America
would be forced to respond.
|
What was the reaction of some European nations to the |
Many turned to -Germany – Adolf -Italy – Benito -Russia – Vladimir Ilich -Spain – Francisco -General Togo – |
|
How did these dictators |
1. Italy’s invasion of 2. Germany remilitarized 3. Japan’s attack on China |
|
How |
Did nothing. Appeasement – led to loss |
|
How did America respond to |
Attempted to stay neutral.
When the war began in
|
|
When |
When Pearl Harbor was Allies – US, England, Axis – Germany, Italy, |