Many reasons, including that Nazi Germany was sinking American supply ships because the US was providing financial and military support to the Allied troops (England, France, China and Russia). Most importantly, Japan attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, without a declaration of war or any warning that hostlities were being commenced, sinking most of the battle fleet. The day after the attack, December 7th, 1941, President Roosevelt went before the US Congress and asked for a formal declaration of War with Japan in retaliation.
With the exception of Janet Rankin (Montana), the US Congress voted unamiously for War. President Roosevelt never asked for war with Italy or Germany before the Congress. Instead, three days after December 7th, Italy and Germany declared war on the United States. Here are more opinions: The US stayed neutral in WWII until the US Naval Base @ Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was bombed by the Japanese on December 07, 1941. The Japanese were then enemies of the United States. As mentioned, the Japanese attacked the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, then the US bases in the Philippines.
The US declared war on Japan, then a few days later Hitler declared war on the US, followed by a US declaration of war against Germany, and thus US was fully involved in the war. FDR wanted us in the war. he made very public statements, not 1, not 2, but three seperae attacks that Germans made on US vessels carrying civilians, no less. (I don’t have their name on me because I’m at work, but The Idiot’s Guide to WW2 does) Our isolationist populace wanted no part of the war in Europe. FDR did. We did pressure the Japanese with embargoes and made a bad economic situation with them much worse. We probably forced their hand.
Then Pearl Harbor happened, and Hitler (in what is quoted as “the greatest military blunder in history”) declared war on the US so that Japan would also attack the Russians on their eastern side (which they never did)Hitler was fighting a war on two fornts (which he knew was a major reason Germany lost ww1)if he could force Russia to also fight a two front war he might just get a shot at Moscow. (which the Germans were in sight of before being repulsed). Hitler did not know how bad off the Japanese were and thought they would help him because (by his own words)”we have allied with an army that has not seen defeat in over a thousand years” which was true). Wilson did borrow money from them so was under influence. and Israel and we are viewed as the terrorists of the world by many. we do have the most weapons of mass destruction in the world and we train people all over the world in how to usurp their governments and we have funded a 50 million dollar a year terrorist campaign against Cuba (since the kenedy administration)and we helped put him in office because he was adictator that could be bought. No wwe don’t like him because he wants to run things his way.
The previous leader was elected very democratically but we didn’t like his policies. Mainly as the Japanese were misguided enough to attack Pearl Harbour and it gave the Americans the incentive they needed. Great Britain had been standing alone for some time and if Hitler had gained Atomic warheads he would have launched long range V2 weapons against American cities so,they would have been involved sooner or later. Great Britain have been paying for it ever since especialy in time of strife (Kuwait,Iraq etc. when they are called upon by America because their military skills are second to none. A lot of people are stating that we got into the war because of Pearl Harbor, but you my want to look further back as to why Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Japan had been aggressive towards China and so the US halted any trade with Japan in November 1940. Japan saw this as a hostile act towards them. About a year later, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. This was only part of there reason for going to war against the Germany, Japan and Italy.
In March 1940, the Lend-Lease act was passed stating Roosevelt could direct aid to whoever he wanted. This meant that the US was no longer neutral. The US ended up contributing 42 billion dollars to the war effort by 1945. With Hitler taking over Europe, FDR saw fit to aid the British and French troops with arms, etc. It all starts many years before Pearl Harbor was bombed. It starts with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, China. The Japanese invade Manchuria on September 18th, 1931.
China was in the middle of a depression (much like our own) so the Japanese quickly get a strong footing in Southern Manchuria. At this time, the United States is good friends with the Russians. It starts pissing off Russia that the Japanese are taking over China. If it pisses off the Russians, it pisses off us. Also, the Japanese invading China violated the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 which renounced war as national policy. So, the United states tells Japan if they don’t get out of China, we’ll stop trading oil with them. Japan stays n China, so, naturally, we stop trading oil. Eventually, Japan is forced out of China, but not without a lasting grudge against us Americans. Of course they hate us after this, so when Pearl Harbor was left for an entire day with everyone on holiday, they bombed the Hell out of it. America was looking for a very good reason that everyone could agree on to join the war. FDR had been wanting to join the war all along, and when the Japanese bombed us 10 years later, it had everyone in such an uproar that no one would back down from the fight.
The answer is simple. I am a seventh grader and even I can answer that question. The bombing at Pearl Harbor was indeed a spark to the United Sates entering the second World War. America clearly felt that if we just laid down and allowed ourselves to be attacked, without a counterattack, we would be the target of many of our world enemies. I feel that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a very fine president, of our strong country, and that the fact that he was able to cope with a depression and war at the same time, is simply outstanding.
