Causes of American Involvement in WWII

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World War II began in 1939 and ended in 1945. This war killed more people and destroyed more property than any other war with fifty-nine countries being involved in(2). Pearl Harbor, the first sneak attack by another country on US soil was a pivotal beginning to the war for the United States. There were many reasons for the United States to get involved into the war and help its allies, but it was Pearl Harbor which forced us into it. Because of Pearl Harbor, Hitler and the crimes against humanity that he committed it justified United States entry into the war. But why did it even happen in the first place? The world was going to war again for the second time in 27 years(1). Economic depression was going on throughout European countries and war was the last thing that the world wanted, or needed. How was Germany able to slip through the cracks of appeasement, rebuild and rearm itself for another war? Why wasn't the Treaty of Versailles upheld to check all German aggression? World War II will forever go down in history as the bloodiest war, the most costly war, and one that shouldn't have happened. When the Germans invaded Poland on September 1st 1939 the world would once again have to take up arms against aggression(1). Unbelievably, so soon after 'the war that will end war', the allied nations had allowed Germany and its axis powers to rearm itself and once again threaten the world. The cost in lives and in dollars was never thought to be as high as it ended up. This would last six years, involve more than two hundred countries, costing 55 million lives and material damage of some 3 billion dollars(1). US involvement would come later in the war because the US had a strong isolationist foreign policy and had made it ... ... middle of paper ... ...ous quote that has gone down in history. Pearl Harbor was "A day that will go down in infamy," (Roosevelt) and though tragic as it was brought us out of a depression and justified our entrance into the war, where we turned the tides and changed the future of the world into what it is today. Bibliography: 1. The World at War, History of WW 1930-1945. "Prelude to War." January 1 1998. 6 May 2003. . 2. The Causes of World War II. (Unknown information) 6 May 2003. . 3. American Involvement in World War II. "U.S. History Resources." 31 March 1998. 6 May 2003. . 4. The Treaty of Versailles. 2001. 6 May 2003. . 5. The US entering World War II. (Unknown information). 6 May 2003. . 6. Reasons for the Appeasment of Hitler in the 1930's by Britain and France. (unknown information) 6 May 2003. . 7. Personal Interview. "Koichi Nakatsubo." 23 April 2003

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