Was America reluctant to go to in to WW1 and 2?

Question

because they had already witnessed the American Civil War.
It is quite understandable that America saw the Europe war as not their own.

I shall give the best answer in 24 hours as i use public access internet.

Answer 1

The President at the time Woodrow Wilson was a big supporter of staying out of WW1. He did everything he could to avoid entering. Both sides in Europe tried to get us to get in on thier side or stay out. The submarine attack on the Lusitania as well as a secret letter to Mexico By Germany sealed the fate. The letter asked for Mexico to attack the US and gain back lost land. In WW2 we again tried to stay out. Germany even had soup kitchens helping the Poor in NYC and a rally in the old Madison Square Garden complete with Hanging Pictures of Hitler, Washington and Lincoln! We started gearing up for a supporting role but Japan sealed our fate as to when we would enter.

Answer 2

First off. May I point out that in WWI the japanese were actually on the allied side so all those posters saying that it was the Japanese who had a hand in pulling the States into the 14-18 war should read a history book.
OK. WWI. America was isolationist. It had withdrawn from European politics since the Spanish/American war. Submarine warfare brought them in, not just because of Lusitania but because unrestricted submarine warfare hit their pockets.
In WWII it was public opinion that kept them out. A large number of influential Americans including Lindberg and Jo Kennedy were Nazi sympathisers and Roosevelt had to wait until he felt safe before offering lend lease and the US Navy protection of convoys.
Pearl Harbour brought the US into a war in the Pacific but the US did not declare war on Germany. Hitler declared war on the States as a member of the Axis with Japan.
As for the civil war. It hadn't stopped them being involved in other wars but there was the feeling of WWI being on the other side of the world.

Answer 3

If you claim to have Filipino roots, they you must aware that the Philippines was heavily invested during the Second World War. The Japanese were not asked to pay any war reparations and till today, their history books still discount the war from 1937 to 1945b as a war to liberate the East from the West. It is estimated that 30 million people died under the Japanese (including 29 million in China) and their atrocities can be matched or worse than those of the German SS. The final blessing for Japan came again from the USA when stolen Japanese war bounty were re-injected in the the economies of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan to step the new communist threat. America not only forgave the Japanese and her Emperor, she provided a silver spoon to make Japan an economic power today. So much for politics.

Answer 4

The consensus is that the US was reluctant to go to war both times. In my experience with Americans, I have concluded that they tend to have a "live and let live" attitude under normal circumstances. But just like any society, they learn from history and after being dragged into WWI and WWII (both of which were uphill battles) is it any wonder that they have now taken a preemptive attitude? They see problems in other parts of the world and have learned from history that if they don't take action up front, it will eventually find them and have them fighting for their lives. I can only speculate that these are the reasons why they fought the expansion of Communism in Korea and Vietnam and also why they have gone after terrorism as well.
If we (the rest of the world) have qualms about the Americans acting like police, have we not asked for it? To whom do we see any nation in crisis turning to with it's hand out for help?
I'm not a blind lover of American politics, but I've spent enough time in the US to know its people and the noble foundation of its government. Time will pass and the American people will eventually get rid of the more colorful and problematic leaders.

Answer 5

The US was reluctant to join the past World Wars because it was not immediately attacked by the Germans and Japanese forces.

Answer 6

America was force both times to enter the wars. Yes, they were reluctant to enter in both cases.

Answer 7

of course their economy was just growing and recovering from the effects of the great depression and WW1 and a wise decision too leading to Americas dominance today otherwise they would have been on the same position as Britain is today

Answer 8

Yes... but more reluctant to participate in WW2.

The USA tried its best to stay out of the military conflict... they kept blocking oil transports one after the other in hopes to not have to to physically get involved.

It wasn't until Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, attacking the USA, that they finally got involved using troops...

Answer 9

Only Aggressors go willingly to war.
America wanted to stay out of both wars until we were hit ourselves and then all hell broke loose.
Undermanned and poorly armed ,America shifted into High Gear and forged ahead to victory.
Isolationist America learned that 2 big oceans would no longer protect us.

Answer 10

Yes, I know for a fact they were in WWII, and were forced to enter the war because of the Attack on Pearl Harbor.