World War I: America As A Superpower

War. It is the single greatest catastrophe the can befall humanity; it is an evil that leaves destruction, bloodshed, broken economies, and broken spirits in its wake. But though it an evil, it must be acknowledged that war is both necessary and inevitable. It was only through war that America was able to rise as a superpower. In history, there have been two defining wars that have shaped and changed the hierarchy of power in the world: World War I and World War II. It is widely regarded that the First World War was a major turning point for the nation that established and cemented its position in power and world affairs, but America’s role as a superpower is directly the cause of its involvement in the Second World War. To begin, one must

Before either World War, America was primarily an isolationist country that did not involve themselves in the happenings of other countries. When the US got involved in World War I, they broke away briefly from isolationism to fight in a war they never should have got involved in the first place. Because World War I had virtually no damaging effects on the country, it was able to displace Britain as a leader in global influence. However, after WWI, the nation reverted to isolationism until the Second World War permanently made America shift to interventionism. American interventionism was especially present after WWII to contain communist influence abroad because of the cold war between America and Russia. Also, after WWII, America became something resembling the world police, involving themselves in every conflict to hold the peace. Another aspect to consider is that the Second War established America as a superpower because the war could not have been won without the aide and abundant supplies that America provided to the Allied powers. During World War II, Germany had a military that was superior to anyone else in the world, with far more advanced tactics and weaponry. They had a merciless leader who would stop at nothing to make his country great again. The Soviet Union, the allies’ main source of manpower, was almost out of the picture with a death toll of over 26 million and because Germany had nothing to lose, Hitler would not stop his reign of terror. So how then, with all odds against them, did the Allies win the war? The answer is simple. The Allies had won the war because of America and its contributions. President Roosevelt had a program established called the “Lend-Lease Act”, which was the principal means for providing U.S. military aid to foreign nations during World War II. Had it not been for the act, the Axis powers post likely would have obliterated the