The Second World War and the United States Involvement - Article Example

If historians were to one decade in the 20th century as the most crucial in the emergence of the new world, few would dispute the choice of 1940s. The Second World War and the United States' involvement in it, the formation of the United Nations and the crystallization of the Cold War acted as deciding factors that changed the destinies of not only United States, but nations all over the world. After World War I, the horrors of the war and the economic depression had influenced the minds of most Americans towards a policy of non-involvement and isolation. "Historians on both sides of the Atlantic challenged the thesis that Germany had been solely responsible for the war, and some argued that the blunders and ambitions of politicians in many countries had caused a war that no one wanted." (Bradley, 319). It was commonly believed that bankers eager to advance their financial interests, and munitions makers whose interests were obvious, were the real influences behind the United States' involvement in WW I. Under the circumstances, President Roosevelt reassured the nation that the United States would follow a policy of neutrality, soon after he assumed office in 1933. However the events that followed put the country's interests at stake on several quarters. In Europe, Germany's expansion plan threatened the power balance in the region. Japan was on a similar track in Asia and this directly affected United States' interests. When Great Britain and France declared war against Germany in 1939, United States felt compelled to supply arms to these allies as a step to contain Germany's advancement in the western hemisphere: Hitler's empire was now larger than Napoleon's, and his power was an absolute. On land he was strong enough to launch offensives in four directions simultaneously; at sea, his three hundred U-boats were strangling Britain's lifelines. Only the consecration of embattled Britain stood between him and absolute mastery of Europe- unless the United States intervened. (Manchester, 219.) The turning point that brought about the active involvement of United States in the War was the attack of Pearl Harbor by Japan. For several years, the United States and Japan had been on a collision course over issues related to Asia. On 7 December 1941, Japanese forces struck at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The unexpected strike caused loss of many lives and severe damage to the air force and naval systems based there. The attack brought about a decisive turn in the mindset of Americans about the role of US in the war. "Now the country was united as it had never been. The sneak attack, the presence of two Japanese ambassadors in Washington pretending to negotiate peace, and an old distrust of what some still called the Yellow Peril combined to transform the war into a crusade against treacherous Orientals."(Manchester, 257) Soon after United States launched an offensive against Japan, Germany and Italy joined on the side of Japan and declared war against United States. The war in Europe was over on 7 May 1945 when Germany surrendered. Japan was crushed stage by stage under the leadership of General MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz. The final blow came with the dropping of nuclear bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 8 August 1945 respectively. The war prompted the country to consider forming a body of nations to protect peace of the world. The United Nations was formed in 1945, with United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain, China and France as the permanent members of the Security Council. The United Nations was formed with the objective of establishing peace over the world. Paradoxically, it was here that the power struggle between the United States and Soviet Union crystallized into cold war tactics that determined much of the fate of the world for over four decades. Many historians were perplexed by this "early and acrimonious falling-out between Moscow and Washington [who had] come together from opposite sides of the globe to beat down the most murderous and monstrous threat the modern world had known." (Burns, 220). The cold war defied all conventional wisdom, yet it was there, sparked by ideological differences and fueled by mutual suspicion, fear and propaganda. Soviet Union's domination of Poland was a matter of deep concern for the US, as "millions of Americans of Polish ancestry were passionately anticommunist and demanded that the United States protect Poland from communist domination" (Bradley, 376). However there was little it could do to change the situation in Eastern Europe where Soviet Union had the clear advantage. "At the end of the war there had been ten million men in the Red Army, and ten million were still there[]Stalin could move at will through eastern Europe". (Manchester, 410). Another crisis formed over Germany, resulting in the division of Germany into two power zones. The crisis deepened as European economy worsened and the United States announced assistance to free nations "threatened by external aggression or internal subversion" (Bradley, 377), in what came to be known as the Truman Doctrine. It was promptly followed up with the Marshall plan that set forth co-operative effort from European countries as a condition for economic assistance from United States. The atom bomb served as another source of fear and suspicion between the two nations. "Evidence of atomic espionage by Soviet spies struck fear in American hearts that the Russians would steal the 'secret' of the bomb. The Soviets, knowing that Washington would never permit international controls that would give Moscow that secret, worked feverishly on their bomb". (Burns, 239). By September 1949 news of the Soviet Union's atomic test was confirmed, further intensifying the power struggle. The 1940s were a period of rapid internal transition in the United States. With increasing demand of weapons, production and consequently employment soared. The African American community had greater opportunities for work. A large scale exodus of men and women from rural areas into urban areas happened during this period. The unutilized savings of the war years were turned into investments in the years after the war, leading to economic prosperity and technological advances. Birth rates boomed by 66% between 1940 and 1960. All this resulted in brisk business in the construction, automobile, food, clothing, household goods and many more sectors. Thus the war years served as the foundation for a new prosperous society. The film, advertising, fashion and music industries flourished during war time. Hollywood "was primarily addressing itself to the GIs; during the war 982 movies were filmed and 34,232 prints sent overseas." (Manchester, 303). This was the time all time greats like Hitchcock, Ingrid Bergman and Katharine Hepburn made some of their most memorable work. Casablanca was a product of the decade. Frank Sinatra's sharp rise to fame was another phenomenon. 1940s thus laid the broad base for the popular culture of America. Works Cited Bradley, H.W. The United States from 1865. New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1973 Burns, J.M. The Crosswinds of Freedom. Alfred. A. Knopf Inc./Asian Books Pvt Ltd. 1989-1990 Manchester, W. The Glory and the Dream- A Narrative History of America. 1932-1972. Boston-Toronto. Little, Brown and Company. 1973-1974. Read More