Why did the US join the war so late? Didn't they realize that the Nazis have taken over Europe?

Question

Except for Britain.

The entire EUROPE has been conquered? Did that not ... concern the United States.. a bit?
Did the U.S think that Germany would eventually give each country back it's independence?
HELL NO. So, what the hell was U.S smoking? I know I'm not very knowledgeable about World
War II but if an entire continent is conquered, I'm sure many people would agree with me,
that there might be a little thought in our minds that might just stay ... HOLY **** WE BETTER DO SOMETHING..

Answer 1

False. The Nazi's never controlled Europe. Spain was neutral, she hated the Nazi's but she had just come out of a civil war, Fransico Franco was not interested one bit to plunge into another war. Switzerland was neutral, again, NOT UNDER NAZI CONTROL. Italy was an ally, not really under Nazi control. So your statement entire "EUROPE has been conquered" is false.



Several things. Isolationism means that one country avoids getting involved in international matters (and that includes trade). What the U.S was doing was NONINTERVENTIONISM (a policy that means you dont get involved in things that are not your business but you still trade with the world.



The U.S saw Europe as constantly feuding, it did not want to get involved in that. Not on our soil, not our problem. Same mentality occurred during World War One. Why should we get involved in European matters, the war was a royal rivalry anyway, so until the unrestricted submarine warfare occurred, the Americans were perfectly happy to be neutral.

Since when does the U.S have the right to be the policeman of the world?

The U.S was in a depression anyway so.....there you go. It was none of their business and they were in a depression. In fact, had the Japanese not be allied with Hitler, the Americans would have only been fighting in the pacific.

Answer 2

Germany and Japan both declared war on the United States in Dec 1941 -

consequently it was not America's decision to 'join' as you suggest -

she was at war, whether she liked it or not - admittedly as a result of provoking Japan.



There was a problem that a facist Europe (although preferable to a Communist one) would not necessarily be friendly to the USA - and this was the great concern to Roosveldt. Hitler despised America as a centre of world Zionism.



America had been isolationalist and had not wanted to get involved in a foreign war. However she had been tacitly supporting Britain (despite being neutral) from the outset - and FDR with his Fireside Chats had been persuading the people that something would have to be done, but ultimately it was not America's choice, despite what Hollywood or others here would like you to think.

Answer 3

Because when World War II broke out in Europe the United States only had 175,000 men in their entire army and the large majority of them were in the U.S. The British and French had a 300,000+ army (British Expeditionary Force) in Europe when WW II began and that wasn't big enough or strong enough to stop the Germans.



It takes a long time to build up, train, and supply huge armies.......... and then they had to build the equipment they would need to transfer that army across the Atlantic Ocean and try to land it in a country occupied by the enemy. And while the U.S. was in the process of building, training, and supplying their own armies , they were also building and sending their supplies/equipment to Russia, Britain, France, etc.



edit:

I forgot to mention, at the same time, the U.S. also had to build up, train, supply, and move American marines/sailors/soldiers to the Pacific to deal with the Japanese.

Answer 4

You want to start restating that? By December 11, 1941, the date Germany declared war on the US and the US a few hours later declared war on Germany, Britain was not the only European nation not in German control. The USSR had not fallen to Germany and Moscow is in Europe. Switzerland was a neutral country and not in German hands. Spain and Portugal were also Neutral nations not in German hands.



And have you ever looked into the US's unofficial participation in the war before offically taking part?

Answer 5

Isolationism. The US wanted to stay out of the war (as much as we could) to repair internal issues stemming from the Great Depression. Our economic structure was just getting back on its feet and our military had been down-sized due to funding and a popular (voter) distaste for war after the horrors of WWI.



To many, the atrocities being committed by Hitler's Third Reich and the Japanese were non-issues since media coverage of the wars in Europe and Asia were nothing at all like today. News coverage, if any, was reported weeks and sometimes months after the fact. The beginnings of WWII (pre-American involvement) were often refered to as the war "over there"



The delayed American involvement (in terms of direct military involvement, not funding to our allies) was a huge mistake. Our industrial complex was geared toward a peace time economy when the USA's entry into the war was inevitable. Resources for building the military's equipment were not immediately available. Despite a rapid change-over to a military industrial complex, battles were entered into with inadequate supplies and materials until almost a year later.



America's late entry into the war was of benefit (to the USA) in that by the time we entered the war Germany was already spread in three different directions (Europe, Africa, and Russia). With the additional insurgence of American troops and weapons, their weakened state made victory possible. The Japanese suffered a similar problem and were reduced by the end of the war to using plywood and canvas gliders for kamikazee missions in hopes of deterring an invasion of their home islands. Both nations suffered from a relatively limited resource base for raw materials and fuel. i hope i helped

Answer 6

in spite of the fact that i do no longer accept as true with all your factors, that's an exciting and correctly theory out question. The Russians are solid at saber damn, yet they do no longer undertaking me as lots as a results of fact the chinese language. The Russians are no longer suicidal, and don't have a super adequate inhabitants to combat the US. Their protection stress isn't in very solid shape, so something greater desirable the the recent conflict in Georgia might heavily stretch their supplies. The chinese language, in spite of the fact that, have been spending massive quantities of money, lots of which comes from the US (made in China), build up their protection stress in recent times. It heavily concerns many protection stress professionals. The chinese language, with a inhabitants of over 1000000000, could have the money for dropping thousands and thousands of persons in a conflict, and their government easily has no regard for human existence. i'm greater worried approximately them invading Taiwan, and sparking a close-by or international conflict.

Answer 7

If you go to war, it's really convenient to have an army to go to war with.

By the middle of the war (1943), the US army had more second lieutenants than it had had total personel (from privates to generals) in 1939, when the US still felt very much like minding its own business, for the most part.

George Marshall's design for expansion and training of the army was one of the true miracles of the time.

Answer 8

I just love the way that DOLTS from all over the world call the U.S. all sorts of names when we fight to stop a dictator, or free a people, or stop the spread of an evil then cry like the worthless garbage that they are when the U.S. doesn't come to their rescue fast enough for THEIR purposes.



We feed and cloth and supply places like the Soviet Union, China and France so they can fight the invading Nazis and they turn on us after the war; We supply and train the Moslems to fight the Soviets, then they turn on us; The list goes on.



We should close our borders, withdraw from the international community (except to missile and totally destroy any country that sends terrorists against us) and let the world starve or be enslaved for a generation.... or two.

Answer 9

Roosevelt did have the intention early on in the war to eventually join in, but the prevailing mood in the country slightly favoured the Germans and also many people did not want to get involved in another 'European war'. Roosevelt instead increased production and aided the Allied war effort while persuading people that intervention was needed.

Answer 10

The U.S. never wanted to involve itself in a foreign conflict at the time. However, if it were to be attacked, then it had no choice but to attack. It believed that a conflict in Europe should be resolved by European nations. It was also wary of becoming an enforcer or mediator in outside countries if conflicts were to arise.

Answer 11

The American Government had a policy of Neutrality, and stuck to it. They did send supplies to Britain, but for astronomical prices.

Answer 12

Back in those days the united states liked to keep to there selfs and be isolated. We didnt want to engage in foreign affairs. We sent lots of supplies to the allies though before we joined to help out. The main reason we joined though was because of Japan. If japan would have never attacked us things might have happend diffrently.

Answer 13

The US was in a state of isolation (same thing that they did in WWI) where they had little concern for external events outside the country that does not affect them. It was thanks to the Japanese who made the first ever bombings on inland America that finally had them join the conflict.

Answer 14

Americans apparently didn't want to get involved but when they did we had already turned the tables on the NAZI Europe and when the Allies won they claimed the victory and glory when really all they did was send a bunch of US immigrants into Normandy as cannon fodder.

Answer 15

After having to fight so hard for our Independence from Europe, it wasn't our duty to help those who did everything in their power to destroy us... but we ended up helping anyway.

Answer 16

why should have america entered the war until it is harmed?. why should have america cared to save englands empire who at one time have even colonised them.