Ww2 and American Involvement
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In this essay I intend to show that it was inevitable that the United States would move from a status of isolationism and neutrality to supporting the Allies and defending democracy, also declaring war on Japan and in the end finishing the war in Europe for the struggling allies.
By 1941 The Axis powers, this included Germany and Italy had taken all of Western Europe. Their control had reached as far west as the bay of Biscay on the west coast of France, they reached as far north as Norway and Finland, as far west as the Caspian sea in Russia. The axis also reached as far south as Libya and Egypt in Africa.
The U.S chose to become isolationists: a national policy of abstaining from political or economic relations with other countries. The U.S was so serious about staying out of any war that when the USS Panay was sunk by Japan, they accepted an apology and a $2 million indemnity.
In Asia however there was a different dominant country, Japan. Japan had stayed and watched things go by in Asia for years, they were like a dormant volcano waiting to erupt. They had watched countries like America, England, France and even Holland take islands and turn them to colonies, so why couldnt they do the same thing? Japan was eager to expand its borders, they knew that they could do it, however there was one problem, The U.S. They were currently the dominant country in the southern islands of Asia. With bases situated in Pearl Harbour and the Philippines, Japan had to weaken the American Navy before they could expand. Japan attacked pearl harbour by surprise, thinking that they could put the American Fleet out of action. This would give them a year to expand all they wanted to. Japan first moved west and took Manchuria and parts of China.
The Japanese thought they had the best opportunity to take resources from these countries, they could take petroleum and even other things, and they could use people as workers. They knew that Britain wouldnt be a problem for them because they were “tied up” in the war in Europe. However they knew that they couldnt take these islands because they couldnt out power the U.S. The U.S did not want to get into other countries “business” and knew that the people in America were not willing to fight someone elses war. The U.S instead just cut off Japans oil supplies. America put Japan to the side and concentrated on finishing the war in Europe.
The U.S had a natural inclination to help the allies in the war in Europe. They fought with Britain and France in WWI. The Americans “leased” $50 billion worth of weapons to their brother countries, and they increased their military budget and started to produce more and more weapons. America also sent 50 old Navy destroyers to help with the British war in the English Channel. Due to the lack of supplies in Britain and the newly invented U-Boat patrolling the Atlantic, the American navy had to escort British supply ships across. Germanys attempt to “starve” Britain of resources had been cracked. German U-Boat losses grew as the Americans used sonar and depth charges to rid the Atlantic of Germans. American Congress even seized 92 German and Italian ships from various American ports and harbours. In June 1941 all German and Italian property in