World War 2

World War 2 was a factor too often ignored by critics of American policy-American military weakness. When asked to evaluate how many troops were available if and when the United States would get involved, the army could only gather a mere one hundred thousand, when the French, Russian and Japanese armies numbered in millions. Its weapons dated from the first World War and were no match compared to the new artillery that Germany and its allies had. "American soldiers were more at home with the horse than with the tank" (Overy 273). The air force was just as bad if not worse. In September 1939 the Air Corps had only 800 combat aircraft

again compared with Germany's 3600 and Russia's 10,000 . American military Aviation (AMA) in 1938 was able to produce only 1,800, 300 less than Germany, and 1,400 less than Japan. Major Eisenhower, who was later Supreme commander of the Allied forces in the second World War, complained that America was left with "only a shell of military establishment" (Chapman 234 ). As was evident to Roosevelt the United states military was in no way prepared to enter this European crisis.

Another aspect that we have to consider is the people's views and thought's regarding the United States going to war. After all let us not forget that the American government is there "for the people and by the people" and therefore the people's view did play a major role in this declaration of Neutrality. In one of Roosevelt's fireside chats he said "We shun political commitments which might entangle us In foreign wars...If we face the choice of profits or peace-this nation must answer, the nation will answer 'we choose peace' ",in which they did. A poll taken in 1939 revealed that ninety-four per cent of the citizens did not want the united states to enter the war. The shock of World War one had still not left ,and entering a new war, they felt, would be foolish. In the early stages of the war American Ambassador to London was quoted saying "It's the end of the world, the end of everything" ( Overy 261). As Richard Overy notes in The Road To War, this growing "estrangement" from Europe was not mere selfishness. They were the values expressed by secretary of state, Cordel Hull: "a primary interest in peace with justice, in economic well-being with stability, and conditions of order under the law". These were principles here on which most Americans (ninety-four percent as of 1939) agreed on. To promote these principles the United States would have to avoid all "foreign entanglements", or as Overy puts it "any kind of alliance or association outside the western hemisphere". Instead the United States should act as an arbitre in world affairs, "encouraging peaceful change where necessary" and most and for all discouraging aggression (Overy 263).

Why risk going to war, when it is contrary to American policy which most if not all Americans were in agreement with and not mentioning the fact that the American military was in shambles. Yet another factor that led to this decision of Neutrality by President Roosevelt was the American Economy.

The health of the American economy could not be jeopardized, whatever was happening elsewhere. It was Roosevelt's view that the United states would fare well (economically speaking) whether Europe went to war or not. "Gold was flowing in from Europe's capitals; orders were mounting daily for equipment and supplies of all kinds; America was building a battleship for Stalin, aero-engines for France" (Overy 277). For most of the 1930's the United states traded as openly with Germany and Japan, as it did with any other country. Japan relied on fuel oil and scrap iron until 1941. Germany was one of the United States' "most important markets" during the 1930's. American investments in Germany increased by forty per cent between 1936 and 1940 ( Wilson 291). America was steadily regaining the prosperity that had diminished during World War 1. The real concern of American business was not "the rights or wrongs of trading with fascism" but the fear that commercial rivals such as Japan and Germany would exclude American goods from Europe and Asia altogether (273).

It is very easy to point and accuse the united states of being selfish, but one has to understand that