World History

Even today, many people still wonder why the United States took part in the World War II.  After the World War I, America was quite exhausted and was not actually ready for taking any drastic measures against the Germans, Italians, and Japanese.  Moreover, both American parties, the republicans and the democrats, were against any military involvement and said that until the States are attacked, they will never fight.  So what were the actual reasons for America’s involvement?  What made Roosevelt change his mind about the United State’s foreign policy?  Let us explore all the reasons and effects of this vital decision, which change America and its society forever.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was much more preoccupied with the national policies and economics then with anything else going on in the world.  He supported the so called Pan-Americanism, which opened new horizons in the relationships between the US and the surrounding countries like Mexico, Dominican Republic, Panama, and Cuba.  This strive to stabilize the US dollar was essential for the American economy at that time.  These steps helped the United States to enforce the Monroe Doctrine not only isolating the US, but the Latin countries as well, making them America’s allies.

The new Neutrality Act, which was signed in 1937, was another step for the US isolation.  Nonetheless, in did exactly the opposite, as far as it didn’t help China in its war with Japan, though America was trading with Japan more then ever, due to the fact that Japan had a huge trading fleet.  In the eyes of Germany, this act was also beneficial, as far as after the unification of Germany and Austria (Anschluss), these countries were free to begin their attack on Poland, knowing that the Western Front will be silent.

In 1939 Roosevelt starts to openly trade with France and Great Britain, though he states that this will not link their war affairs against Germany.  Nonetheless, in 1939 the president still tried to keep the country out of war.  He refused to give any aid to France, saying that he can only proclaim war.  Eventually, the United States accepted an order from Great Britain for 50 destroyers, which meant that the States openly supported Great Britain in its war with Germany.