US Involvement in WW2

This isolationist sentiment was also backed up by actual laws, namely the Neutrality Acts, a series of laws passed in the 1930s. Essentially, they prevented the United States from selling or exporting arms to nations involved in a war.

But, as the war carried on, sentiment began to shift in the United States to favor an interventionist approach. By 1940, Germany had succeeded in annexing both Austria and Czechoslovakia as well as conquering Poland, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Additionally, Germany had begun targeting Great Britain in a relentless bombing campaign. There was a clear threat to democracy in Western Europe, and Adolf Hitler seemed posed to become a dictator with extreme global influence.

And then, on December 7th, 1941, tragedy struck. On this day, the Japanese Navy launched its attack on Pearl Harbor, a surprise strike against the U.S. Navy stationed in Hawaii. Completely unprepared for such an attack, over 2,400 servicemen and civilians lost their lives. The Japanese Navy also succeeded in sinking or damaging just under 20 warships and destroying over 150 aircraft.

America could no longer watch from the sidelines in the face of such aggression, and Congress issued an immediate declaration of war. On December 11th, this declaration of war was extended to Germany and Italy, who responded in kind.

Fig. 1 - photograph of a ship burning during the attack on Pearl Harbor

U.S. Involvement in WWII: Timeline and Dates

Although the United States did not enter World War II until after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the government had been supporting the Allied war effort from afar for quite some time. After the invasion of Poland in 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared a limited national emergency, which allowed for the expansion of military production within peacetime limits. Additionally, he introduced the “cash and carry” policy, which took advantage of loopholes in the 1930s Neutrality Acts. Under this policy, warring nations could buy military equipment, so long as they paid in cash and handled the exportation themselves. It also skirted any restrictions of providing supplies on credit.

Fig. 2 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt

In March 1941, Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act, once again carefully constructed to take advantage of loopholes. In this lend-lease system, America could lend military equipment (e.g. tanks, aircraft, artillery guns) and defer payment to a later date. Additionally, this payment did not necessarily have to be currency. Although America was not necessarily fighting a war, it had become an “arsenal of democracy”:

Although still not explicitly involved in the war, in August 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt met with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to create the Atlantic Charter. Together, they decided on war aims, particularly the protection of self-determination and the condemnation of Nazism.

Fig. 3 - Winston Churchill

America's Role in WWII

So, now that we know what led up to America’s entry into World War II, what did the United States actually contribute to the war effort once in the war? Well, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill met at the Arcadia Conference to discuss just what America was going to do. At this conference, they agreed to focus on relieving the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, as well as liberating France.

America’s Role in WWII: The European Theater

First, the Allied forces looked towards North Africa, where Germany had been attempting to make headway. With the help of the United States, Allied troops were able to force all Axis troops into Tunisia and eventually out of the continent. With North Africa liberated, they then looked North toward Italy, where they successfully overthrew dictator Benito Mussolini in September 1943.

Then, it was time to liberate France. This began with the invasion of Normandy on “D-Day,” June 6th, 1944. While many Allied troops died in the attack, it proved a massive success. By late August, the Allied forces had taken Paris and began making their way toward Germany. On May 8th, 1945, Germany surrendered after losing the Battle of Berlin.

America’s Role in WWII: The Pacific Theater

Although American troops were most certainly dedicated to the fight in Europe, it is important to remember the Pacific Theater, in which the United States set out to defeat Japan. Here, we can look at a couple of major turning points. First was the Battle of Midway, fought in June 1942. In this battle, the U.S. Navy succeeded in destroying several aircraft carriers and left Japan unable to launch any offensives for the remainder of the war. From there, American troops launched an island-hopping campaign, in which they fought to retake territory captured by Japan.

After the Allied victory in Europe, Japan continued to put up a formidable fight and the United States was looking for a way to win the war in a swift and decisive manner. On August 6th, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, causing mass civilian casualties and absolute devastation. The United States followed with the bombing of Nagasaki just three days later. In the face of a tragedy, Japan surrendered on September 2nd, 1945.

Fig. 4 - the atomic cloud over Hiroshima

America truly did become an “arsenal of democracy” during the war and helped finance a large portion of the war effort. And, once becoming directly involved, American troops proved decisive in a series of turning points that led to an Allied victory. As such, America came out of World War I as a major world power, rivaled only by the Soviet Union. At home, wartime production took America out of the Great Depression and brought in a new era of prosperity.

Comparing American Involvement in WWI and WWII

In both World War I and World War II, America waited a significant period of time before entering the war. And, in both wars, it was an act of aggression by another nation that forced American involvement. In World War I, it was the Germans sinking the Lusitania and, in World War II, it was the Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor.

African American involvement in WWII

In America, African Americans were still fighting for civil rights as their country was fighting a world war. African American men and women alike contributed to the war effort, and many men died in it. Still, their country refused to treat them as equal citizens. Multiple Black newspapers joined together to call out this contradiction and worked to popularize the Double V campaign. The Double V campaign called for a double victory, one against the Axis powers abroad and one against the discrimination and oppression at home.