Fear of Another World War
Many Americans during the 1920s came to feel that America's entry into World War I, the "Great War", and “the war to end all wars" was a mistake. During World War One the United States lost over 4,700,000 soldiers. The thought of entering another war and sacrificing more Americans did not settle well with the American people. President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew that Americans were not fond of entering another World War. Therefore the government could not directly enter without disapproval of the majority of the population. Most American citizens did not see the need in
entering a war that did not directly affect them. At the time the US were isolationist. Many Americans thought that America need to focus on itself. The United States was in the middle of a Great depression and could not afford to enter another war. Also, after World War l America was not ready for. The military took a severe beating during World War l and the Navy was nearly destroyed. America was still in the process of recovering from the First World War.
entering a war that did not directly affect them. At the time the US were isolationist. Many Americans thought that America need to focus on itself. The United States was in the middle of a Great depression and could not afford to enter another war. Also, after World War l America was not ready for. The military took a severe beating during World War l and the Navy was nearly destroyed. America was still in the process of recovering from the First World War.
The Great Depression
World War l was a catalyst for The Great Depression. The cost of WWl was vast for many countries as the attempted to pick up the pieces and rebuild following the four years of conflict. During the war most industrial activity was spent on creating war materials. As countries struggled to rebuild and repay their wartime debts, times became tough with people realizing that the freedoms that they had fought for were not matching up with the realities that they lived. The cost of repaying the war debts crippled many economies and when the stock market crashed companies, industries that were vital to the American economy were virtually wiped out. This not only brought America to its knees but also affected other countries as well.
The Neutrality Acts
The Neutrality Acts were passed in the 1930s by the United States in response to the turmoil in Europe and Asia. There were four major Neutrality Acts passed in 30s. The first Neutrality Act was passed in August of 1935, it was designed to keep the United States out of a possible European war by banning shipment of war materiel to belligerents. The Neutrality Act was amended (Feb of 1936) to prohibit the granting of loans to belligerents. Later (Jan. and May of 1937) neutrality was extended to cover civil wars, this was created due to the Spanish civil war. In Nov of 1939, the act was revised to supply warring nations on the "cash-and-carry" principle. But U.S. vessels were excluded from combat zones, and U.S. citizens were not allowed to sail on belligerent vessels.
The Embargo Act
The United States, England, and the U.S.S.R had interests in China and they giving aid to China. Japan entered into war with China prior to war breaking out in Europe. After the Japanese signed the Kellogg Briand Pact they began to expand into French Indochina, Manchuria, and other small pacific islands. While trying to expand their territories the Japanese raped and murdered the civilians of these helpless territory. The Japanese wanted to stop all aid to China from the Allies and the United States. When the United States and allies were confronted with this both declined to stop sending aid to China. In 1940, Japan invaded French Indochina in an effort to embargo all imports to China, including war supplies that U.S purchased. This the prompted the United states to place and embargo on Japan. This embargo forbade all exports of oil and other resources. The Japanese depending on the United States for about ninety percent of their oil and natural resources, especially steel. This enraged the Japanese.
http://books.google.com/books?id=AvfBTEBMiW0C&pg=PA90&dq=embargo+act+on+japan&hl=en&sa=X&ei=iEOZUfCmOvSi4AOjvYEw&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=embargo%20act%20on%20japan&f=false
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Was Peace a Possibility?
While American and Japanese diplomats were trying to navigate through their differences, General Tojo Hideki became prime minister of Japan in October 1941. He was a strong supporter of war against the United States. President Roosevelt stilled hoped that he could formulate an agreement with Japan to help mend their relationship. Earlier that year the United States technicians cracked a top-secret Japanese code. This code gave the Americans key diplomatic knowledge that allowed them to know that their was set to be a attack. America knew that there were on the move towards the Pacific. Although the United States knew that their was suppose to be an attack they did not know when.
Pearl Harbor
On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise air attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. After just two hours of bombing, more than 2,400 Americans were dead, 21 ships were either been sunk or damaged, and more than 188 U.S. aircraft destroyed. Two army privates saw, on their monitors, 50 planes coming towards Pearl Harbor. They are dismissed because they were thought to be American planes. The first wave of Japanese planes reached the U.S. Naval Station at Pearl Harbor at 7:55 a.m. Just before the first bombs dropped on Pearl Harbor, Commander Mitsuo Fuchida, leader of the air attack, called out, "Tora! Tora! Tora!" or "Tiger! Tiger! Tiger", This was a coded message which told the entire Japanese navy that they had caught the Americans totally by surprise. Sunday morning on the naval base was a time of leisure. Many were either sleeping, eating, or getting ready for church. Then the bombings started and that was when everyone came to the realization that it was not a training exercise. Although the fact that everyone was caught off guard the soldiers sprung into action fast. Within five minutes of the beginning of the attack, several gunners had reached their anti-aircraft guns and were trying to shoot down the Japanese planes. At 8:00 a.m., Admiral Husband Kimmel, in charge of Pearl Harbor, sent out a hurried dispatch to all in the U.S. naval fleet, "AIR RAID ON PEARL HARBOR X THIS IS NOT DRILL." The Japanese knew that Pearl Harbor was set up in strategic order. All the battleships were placed in perfect liniment of one another. On the day of the bombings there were present eight battle ships at Pearl Harbor, seven of them were lined up next each other on Battleship Row. The Colorado was the only ship not on Battleship Row. Since the attack was a surprise the American soldiers had no time to prepare the battleships to be moved so many of them were torpedoed and bombed. Although the crews on board worked hard to stop the ships from sinking it was inevitable that they were set to. By 9:45 the attack was over and the Japanese headed back home. In that, nearly, two hour span about 2,400 Americans were killed, 1,200 were wounded, nearly 200 American planes were destroyed or damaged; 18 warships were sunk or damaged, 8 of the 9 battleships, while the Japanese lost 29 planes.
http://books.google.com/books?id=pO4JxYdXP04C&printsec=frontcover&dq=pearl+harbor&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LkSZUba1MtGx4AO884DICw&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA
http://books.google.com/books?id=ErvY2vC1WXMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=pearl+harbor&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LkSZUba1MtGx4AO884DICw&ved=0CFcQ6AEwBw
http://books.google.com/books?id=pO4JxYdXP04C&printsec=frontcover&dq=pearl+harbor&hl=en&sa=X&ei=LkSZUba1MtGx4AO884DICw&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA
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Declaration of War
Before the attack on Pearl Harbor eighty percent of Americans were against American involvement in World War Two but after the Attack more than 90 percent of the country was ready to go to war with the Germans. The next day president Roosevelt declared war on December 8,1941. Only hours after Roosevelt's speech Congress passed a war resolution. Only one member of congress voted against the declaration of war. Jeannette Rankin of Montana thought that war was still a bad idea. On December 11, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.
Rational
This page is dedicated to showing how the United States went from Isolationism to partaking in a war. I used pictures to show the devastation of the Great Depression. I added videos to show from other historians what happened during the Great Depression and how it affected American life. I then used more photos and videos to elaborate the information that was written. Finally I added hyperlinks to books that the viewer of the webpage can use to further in information they will attain. These books they can not only buy but they can, conveniently, read online as well.