Issues in U.S During 20th Century
Essay title: Issues in U.S During 20th Century
I feel the three most important issues or developments in US history and culture in the last century were the U.S involvement in WWII, the civil rights movements, and Vietnam War.
An important issue in US history and culture in the last century was the United States entering WW II in 1941. Restricted from direct military involvement by the Neutrality Laws of 1937, 1938, and 1939, the United States remained officially neutral, content to serve as the “arsenal of democracy,” providing Britain and the Soviet Union with arms and money through the Lend-Lease Act of 1941. Under this law, the United States “loaned” the Allies ships, tanks, and guns to prosecute the war, although payment was no longer expected.
However, this official neutrality came to an end in December 1941. Though President Franklin D. Roosevelt regarded Germany as Americas chief enemy, the Japanese Empire remained an aggressive adversary, coming into conflict with American interests and rights in the Pacific. The United States condemned the Japanese war in China and when Tokyo invaded Southeast Asia, Washington threatened to cut off American oil exports to Japan, a possibility that would have ground the Japanese war machine to an immediate halt. After weeks of tense negotiations, the Japanese realized that war with the United States was inevitable if it wanted to satiate its true imperial desires. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japan struck the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, crippling the American navy and its presence in the Pacific Ocean. The next day, the United States declared war on Japan. Since Japan had, in 1940, joined with Italy and Germany in the Tripartite Pact, Germany honored its obligations and declared war on the United States.
Although indignant about Japans sneak attack, call to “Get Hirohito First” were pushed aside by Roosevelt who saw Germany as democracys primary enemy. Taking up a defensive position in the Pacific, the United States converted its giant economy to a total war footing against fascism.
In Europe, Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill were not prepared for a major assault on Hitlers “Fortress Europe” in France. Instead, they focused on North Africa and Italy.. In the North African campaign, German General Erwin Rommel had, by June 1942, extended German control into Egypt where, from June to November of that year, he was stopped by British General Bernard Montgomery at the Battle of El Alamein. American invasion force pushed eastward from Casablanca, Morocco. Facing heavy fighting from Tunisia to Sicily to Italy, it took the Allies until June 1944 to reach Rome. With opposition to Benito Mussolini growing, a coup detat in Rome had overthrown the fascists in September 1942, withdrawing Italy from its alliance with Germany. Not willing to allow Italy to become a springboard for an invasion of the Fatherland, Germany occupied its former ally and set up defensive positions across the peninsula.
Josef Stalin could bear this hesitation no longer. In November 1943, Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin met at Tehran, Iran to discuss war strategy. At this Tehran Conference, Roosevelt and Churchill pledged to open the second front in France within six months and Stalin pledged to help the United States in the Pacific War.
Though Hitler had always considered the United States an enemy because of its material and financial support of Britain and the Soviet Union, the Fuhrer maintained real hopes that the United States would remain neutral. After all, Germany had done nothing to provoke the Americans directly. Washington would have involved itself in the war sooner or later for one reason or another–perhaps its already close connection with Britain, shipping rights on the high seas, interests in the Pacific Ocean, or if only to have its interests cared for in the peace conference to follow. All evidence, in fact, points to American involvement within six months of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In the Pacific, Japanese expansion was coming dangerously close to American islands; in Europe, the collapse of the Red Army and the continued weakness of Britain threatened to make Germany master of Europe, an economic eventuality American capitalists could not accept. Germany did pose a direct threat to the interests of the United States in various forms: morality, for its racial policy; economics, for its control of necessary markets; politics, for its opportunity to master the center of global politics at the time; military, for the eventual clash between the two remaining western powers.
A crucial movement to the last century was the civil rights. More than a hundred years ago the Europeans brought slaves to North America. The blacks found themselves in the midst of prejudice whites with no way out. When the blacks came over Jim Crow laws were incorporated. With