How did American attitudes toward the war change between 1939 and 1941?

Question

What finally brought the United States into the war?

Answer 1

Pearl Harbor, we were savagely attacked on December 7th, 1941. Up until then, we were watching the Nazi's march across Europe and then had to watch their Axis ally march across the Pacific. It was get into the war or surrender to Fascism.

Answer 2

In 1939 many Americans were sympathetic to the Nazis and many companies were trading with them. The American ambassador to London was Joseph Kennedy (the father of JFK) and he was a well known Nazi sympathiser.
This changed in 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and shortly after Hitler declared war on the USA.

Answer 3

The American people wanted no part of a war in Europe, we did that in W.W.1. The attack on Pearl Harbor changed our minds, quickly! FDR could see that we would have to enter the war because once the UK fell there would be nothing to stop Hitler from coming after us. He had the missals already in the works. Pearl Harbor was a complete surprise since the Japanese had it's ambassadors in Washington saying peace while the navy was approaching Pearl!

Answer 4

FDR brought us into the war. He first encourage close economic ties with his cash-and-carry trading, eventually encouraging a lend-and-lease system in which we would loan weapons to the allied nations at no charge. He also somewhat orchestrated the attack on Pearl Harbor by causing an oil embargo to the import dependant Japan. They needed to attack the Dutch West Indies to support their navy, and had to take out our navy at Pearl Harbor to do it. It is no secret that the Japanese code was already broken, and that FDR took some precautions to make certain it was less damaging, (but some fighters flew in and messed that up). FDR tapped his own phone lines, and was recorded saying "this means war!" American opinion was mostly of neutrality until Peral Harbor, when there was an almost unanimous vote in congress for war (the one who voted against also voted against entering WWI).
PS FDR=Frankin Roosevelt

Answer 5

Before the war most Americans were isolationists in the tradition of the Founders, and didn't want to get involved in European wars. Roosevelt wanted to get America into the war, however. Pearl Harbor was the perfect opportunity. There was also intense anti-German propaganda in the Jewish-owned newspapers and other media. Many more people died as a result of America's entry into WW2 than would have if we remained neutral.

Answer 6

Pearl harbor, 1941

Answer 7

America wanted to stay an isolationist country. it was thought that europe's problems were europe's problems, not ours. roosevelt was a believer in this.

the problems with japan began in part when we began an embargo on their country. we stopped all imports to their country. since they are an island and are lacking in natural resources, they were pushed to the wall. they finally shook us up with the attack at the naval base in hawaii. it wasn't a state at the time.

to save face, we were forced to go to war with japan. we never wanted to go to europe. people were pleading for help and we were denying it. once it became so public that the holocaust was occurring we joined. by then the soviet union had been there from the get go.

they lost 23,500,000 people in total. wikipedia breaks down each country by civilian and military deaths. 11,000,000 civilians were killed in the soviet union.

Answer 8

The Germans start to blow up our freighters with U Boats that they believed were supplying England. And Pearl Harbour was retaliation for the Oil Embargo we put on them for invading the China.

Answer 9

Pearl Harbor !

Answer 10

Meh, wasn't that savage of an attack. At least the specifically targeted a military base instead of civilians.