Causes of WWI and WWII-
In WWI:
When the fighting began, President Wilson declared the United States to be neutral in an attempt to keep the country from being drawn into a foreign war. "We must be impartial in thought as well as in action," Wilson stated. For many Americans, however, that proved difficult to do. |
In WWII:
President Roosevelt officially proclaimed the United States neutral two days after Britain and France declared war on Germany. Despite this declaration, he was determined to do all he could to help the two countries in their struggle against Hitler. Under the Neutrality Act of 1939, warring nations could buy weapons form the United States only if they paid cash and carried the arms on their own ships. |
Reasons the wars broke out in Europe and the attitude of the United States:
In WWI:
Despite more than 40 years of general peace, tensions among European nations were building in 1914. Throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s, a number of factors created problems among the powers of Europe and set a stage for a monumental war. These include the alliance system, the naval race, and the Balkan crisis. |
In WWII:
When WWI ended the future of democracy in Europe seemed bright. In 1918, President Wilson had announced, "Everything for which America fought has been accomplished." Wilson had hoped that the United States could "aid in the establishment of just democracy throughout the world." Instead, the treaty that ended the war, along with the economic depression that followed, contributed to the rise of antidemocratic governments in both Europe and Asia. |
Specific American actions leading up to the start of U.S. involvement in each of the wars:
For WWI:
Although most Americans supported the Allies and hoped for their victory, they did not want to join the conflict. However a serious of events gradually eroded American neutrality and drew the nation into the war firmly on the side of the Allies. The sinking of Lusitania and the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare were two. Following Wilson's re-election, events quickly brought the country to the brink of war. In January 1917, a German official cabled the German ambassador in Mexico, instructing him to make an offer to the Mexican government. He proposed that Mexico ally itself with Germany to regain lost territories from the U.S. after the war was won. Shortly after that telegram was leaked to American newspapers and so the United States decided war with Germany was necessary. |
For WWII:
The rise of dictatorships and militarism after WWI discouraged many Americans. The sacrifices they had made during the war seemed pointless. Once again, Americans began to support isolationism, or the belief that the United States should avoid international commitments that might drag the nation into another war. However, after the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that killed 2,403 Americans and injured another 1,178 they had a completely different mindset. The Senate voted 82 to 0 and the House 388 to 1 to declare war on Japan. |