Some World War II questions?

Question

These questions are somewhat related. First, why didn't America just stay focused on the Pacific theater? Germany didn't bomb pearl harbor, nor did Italy, so that's a poor allocation of military resources. And why didn't Germany, after declaring war on the US bomb the country with air raids?It had worked for them before, so that confuses me. And why did Canada get involved in the war so early, rather than show their independence from the UK? They didn't have a real reason to fight. Well, the allies won, which is all that matters, but still I can't think of great answers for these questions.

What is the current relation between Germany and the US? I know German troops helped in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Great answers so far except for cprucka. I actually have no idea what she was trying to say. And it's funny she says she wants nothing to do with "idiot's" when she can't even use an apostrophe correctly. My question with why the US would fight Germany was pretty stupid. Obviously they have to fight all the Axis powers or their allies would lose, or have a much more difficult time winning Than it would be Germany, Italy, and Japan against the US. That wouldn't have been good. However, Germany could have used carriers to get planes in position to the US coast. It would have been risky, but I think it would have forced the US to fight on another front, and defend the states. The Germans didn't really stay consistent with their, tactics, did they?

After I posted those details, I read Lee's answer and it makes sense. Causing civilian casualties in the US with bombings would be a very poor allocation of military resources, and a huge waste of time. And Lee I would love to ask you more questions I just need to think of some.

Answer 1

1. Germany declared war on us. It was only logical to help the rest of Europe take out Hitler.

2. The Atlantic Ocean. Germany was too busy fighting the European Allies to send the required fleets to American waters.

3. Don't know off hand. Maybe a mutual protection treaty?

EDIT: Nobody had the ability to send planes on bombing runs across oceans, but aircraft carriers were common enough by WWII. But like I said, Germany just didn't have the resources available to send carriers and the fleets needed to protect them to America.

Answer 2

Germany had no real way of bombing the US for one thing. Bombers of that time periods range were way to short and the USA is such a vast nation carpet bombing attacks would cause minimal damage. Bombings original idea was to maximize damage to front line troops, supply lines, factories and military targets. The germans had this problem in Russia where they tried attacking russian factories but the country was so vast they could build factories far beyond the reach of german bombers.
At the point in the war where the USA entered the war was going very bad for the rest of the free world as well. Britain was among the last holdouts with japan taking china and threatening Australia from the south and Germany threatening the whole of the European continent. The USA needed to help the Russia and Britain to survive the german onslaught and did just that with the murmansk and atlantic runs that supplied tanks, guns, fuel and steel to allow them to hold off long enough for the USA and Britain to gain the offensive in North Africa and breech Italy, Germanys soft underbelly and cause them to pull troops off the front in Russia. When this happened, the war had turned and Germany never had the strength to regain the offensive.
If USA had focused only on japan, germany could have stayed on the offensive longer and had control of more then half the world. Then we would have been in the same situation as Britain with no backup.
The political situation was much different in Canada then it was in USA. USA anti war sentiment was high until Pearl Harbour, well Canada still sees the queen as a figure head today.
By the way they had to attack Italy, they were Germany's ally. Mussolinni wasnt much better then Hitler and the Italian people rejoiced when the war for them was over.

Answer 3

Germany declared war on the U.S.A. after Germanies ally Japan bombed Pear Harbour in December 1941.
So an ally of Japan automatically qualified as an enemy of the U.S.A.

Germany did not have the capability to launch any bombing raids on the U.S.A. the distance was too great, but German Submarines had been sinking U.S. merchant ships and killing U.S. Sailors off the coast of the U.S.A. in American waters long before Pear Harbour was bombed.

Italy was allied with the Germans so they became a target for the U.S.A until they (Italians) got rid of Mussolini and went over the the British and Americans.

Canada was part of the British Commenwealth and had political obligations to forefill.

Also America knew sooner or later it would have to face Germany because if they (Germany) succeded in their conquest of Europe the would eventually have turned their attention to the USA. The thought of a world controlled by the Nazis and the Japanese was unthinkable to American policy of the day.

Answer 4

1) The US had been on Britain's side for a number of years and had already been sending the UK aide. Once Germany declared war we decided to remain true to our allies and fight on both fronts.

2) Germany did not have planes capable of reaching the US at the time, in fact no country had aircraft capable of round trip travel across a major ocean at the time. Germany was working on weapons to reach the US but they were years away and the war ended long before they could go in to production.

3) Canada was still part of the Common wealth, despite being mostly independent they were still very close to Britain, plans were drawn up to evacuate the royal family and national treasures to Canada should Britain fall. I imagine it was out of a sense of loyalty and obligation, not a quality we see much of anymore.

4) US German relations? They have become a little political in the recent years and some people might say they are strained, but generally the relationship is strong. we still trade, the US has bases in Germany and provides a lot of economic infrastructure to the country. I would say warm, but not as warm as it was 50 years ago.

Answer 5

1. Japan, Germany and Italy were working together, they called themselves the Axis. Germany and Japan had plans to divide Asia. Italy wanted to reconquer its territories in Africa. To be attacked by Japan was to be at war with the Axis.

2. The UK, France and Belgium were traditional allies of the United States. It was obvious by the late 1930s that Germany intended to dominate Europe, as they had tried to do in WW1.

3. The Germans didn't bomb America because their aircraft couldn't fly that far. Germany and Italy were developing jet fighters that could deliver atomic bombs to American cities, but they were defeated before they could do this.

4. Canada is part of the British Commonwealth, they recognize the Queen as their own. They had as much reason to fight as the rest of the allies. Germany was a fascist country with plans to build a world empire.

5. Are you happy that the US, Great Britain and Canada did fight together? If they hadn't Hitler would've won.

It wouldn't hurt to do your own research.

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Answer 6

FDR wisely identified that Germany was the greater threat than the Japanese. Nazi Germany had occupied nearly all of Western and Eastern Europe and was on the brink of securing the Soviet Union and North Africa. Keep in mind, that Germany's military reverses didn't begin to seriously rack up until 1943.

US involvement was crucial. Our troops were a great assist in helping wrap up the North African Campaign. The Brits deserve the credit for defeating the Afrika Korps, but US assistance hastened their demise and set the stage for the Invasions of Sicily and Italy.

Hitler strongly desired to bomb the US. This desire resulted in the delay of the ME-262 Jet Fighter as Hitler screwed around trying to have made into a bomber. This mentality came at huge cost to the Luftwaffe, which needed production focused on fighters as the Allied Bombing campaigns gained intensity.

As for Canada, well they were a Commonwealth nation just like Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa. The King called for troops and they answered the call. Ireland did not participate on the side of the Allies. In fact, German U-Boats were able to bury dead crewman in Ireland on more than one occasion.

One last note to ponder is the scenario where FDR focuses US resources against the Japanese rather than against the Germans.

Had this occurred, the Germans would #1 have been able to kill substantially more Jews and others in the death camps.
#2 - the battle of Kursk may have gone differently. -- Hitler pulled the plug on the battle following the massive tank clash at Prokhorovka. The Soviets had been just as staggered as the Germans, but of course had a greater depth of reserves. The reason Hitler pulled the plug was to send the 1st SS Panzer Div. Leibstandarte and others to secure Italy following the Allied landings in Sicily. The result was that key Panzer formations were removed from the line as the Soviets kicked in their counter-attacks at Orel and Belgorod.

#3 Normandy - again the Normandy campaign pulled away from the Russian Front - the 1st, 2nd, 9th, 10th, and 17th SS Panzer and Panzer Grenadier Divisions including the heavy SS Tiger formations. The 21st, 116th, and Panzer Lehr Divisions were also pulled away. This represented a huge portion of the available mobile German counter-punch that might have prevented the disaster on the Eastern Front as Operation Bagration destroyed German Army Group Center and rolled the Germans all the way back to the Vistula.

Thank goodness FDR acted as he did.

Answer 7

It was a world war.
Roosevelt wanted to go after Hitler for mnay months but held in reserve. It was after the Pearl Harbor attack that Germany declared war on the US and FDR sent troops over to quell the dictator.
Canada and UK were allies always and that was reason for declaring war on Germany.
Read some books on Roosevelt

Answer 8

Germany declared war on the USA, one of two mistakes Hitler made (the other was invading Russia). German U-boats would have attacked US warships and shipping even if the USA didn't fight back.

Germany didn't bomb the US mainland because it was too far away.

Canada got involved because they still held close ties with Britain. Unlike their southern neighbor (the USA) Canada wasn't isolationist and joined Britain. Even today there are close ties with Britain and the Queen.

Answer 9

Once Germany declared war on the USA it was in the interest of the Americans to get involved in Europe to protect shipping routes and shorten the war.
Germany couldn't bomb the USA because it was out of range of their planes and they had no heavy long range bomber fleet anyway or aircraft carriers.
Canada got involved in 1939 because it was part of the British Empire and all parts of it supported Britain

Answer 10

What is your definition of lasting peace? WWII is the last World War as to this date but other wars started and ended after it. Would there be another World War? Others say we might be close to it but time will tell. Your second question boggles me. It seems like you are asking how many military men and women survive WWII? Then you have to count everyone from the ones that actually saw combat, others that was on the way, and the others still in bootcamp. Because technically they are all veterans of WWII.