Causes of World War II Response Paper
Causes of World War II Response Paper
There were many underlying causes of World War II. It is hard to just say one main cause of World War II, it was multiple issues that led to the start of World War II. According to Keene (2013), “From 1939 to 1945, war engulfed nearly the entire globe, as shown on the map (23.1). Huge areas fell under German and Japanese control, naval battles occurred on vast stretches of sea, and colonies provided key materials needed by warring nations. Until 1941, however, the United States remained on the sidelines as Germany attacked continuously in Europe, and Japan launched steady invasions in East Asia. As long as the fighting remained far from their shores, Americans disagreed over whether these wars were theirs to fight. Still coping with the social and financial problems created by the Great Depression, non-interventionists urged the nation to put “America First” and stay out of overseas conflicts. By the late 1930s, however, interventionists increasingly challenged this view, arguing that only direct engagement could prevent the world conflagration from reaching American shores (p.685).” Also, Keene (2013) stated, “In the midst of the Depression, the United States had to formulate responses to Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in Germany in 1933, Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, and the Spanish Civil War in 1936–1939 (p.686).”
I think the attack on Pearl Harbor led the United Stated to war more than any other event. Acording to Keene (2013), “In their attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese sank or damaged 18 ships and killed 2,405 Americans. Congress declared war on Japan the day after the attack. On December 11, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States, and Germany’s allies Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary quickly followed suit. The United States now faced the challenge of fighting resolute and capable enemies in Europe and the Pacific against whom victory was not certain. The attack on Pearl Harbor silenced debate about whether America needed to fight, but were all the changes the war caused in American society positive ones? World War II thrust the United States into a new position of global leadership. Mobilizing the nation’s resources to fight also created vast economic and social changes at home. The United States eventually prevailed against its enemies, but the cost of victory was high on the battlefield and on the home front (p.684).” Hisotry.org (2009) stated, “On December 7, 1941. Just before 8 a.m. on that Sunday morning, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes descended on the base, where they managed to destroy or damage nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight battleships, and over 300 airplanes. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack, including civilians, and another 1,000 people were wounded. The day after the assault, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan (p.1).”
Reference:
Editors, H. (2009, October 29). Pearl Harbor. Retrieved from
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor (Links to an external site.)
Keene, J., Cornell, S. & O’Donnell, E. (2013). Visions of America: A History of the United
States (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
