World War II

World War II taught us that the fight didn't have to be on our land to have an effect or our country. Though America was able to avoid the war for the first part, eventually we also took notice of the terrible threat that Germany, Japan, and Italy embodied.

Yet, the beginning of the war claimed Austria, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, and Luxemburg among others. Still America remained neutral. It wasn't long before France surrendered to Italy and left Great Britain alone in their fight against the axis powers of World War II.

After the axis powers started gaining more and more victories in World War II, America led by Franklin D Roosevelt knew it was time to take a role in the war. Though America was not ready to make the bold move of entering the war as far as sending troops and making declarations, we decided to take a less neutral stand.

In 1941, congress passed the Lend-Lease Act which provided the allies with more than $50 billion for supplies for World War II. In fact, the United States also started sending these war materials to the allies. As a result, German submarines called U-boats started attacking allied ships. Still, America did not declare war.

In 1937, Japan started attacking China. In an endeavor to aid China, as part of the Lend-Lease Act, the United States also sent supplies to China. In 1940, America also stopped shipping gas, iron, steel, and other materials to Japan. These actions lead to an increasingly hostile relationship between the United States and Japan during World War II.

On December 7, 1941, “a day that will life in infamy,” Americans were forced to take a larger role in World War II. On this day, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor without notice. America reacted by declaring war on Japan. That is how the United States entered World War II.