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Why did the United States enter WWII, and what were the consequences at home and
abroad?
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The main reason for the United States' involvement in the Second World War was the
attack by the Japanese on the US Naval base at Pearl Hawaii on December 7 1941. This sudden
attack on the US naval depot in Hawaii and the consequent devastation of the Pacific Fleet led to
the declaration of war on Japan the next day by the US Congress (Hammel, 2020). Germany and
Italy, as part of the Axis alliance with Japan, subsequently declared war on the United States on
December 11, fully drawing America into the global conflict. While tensions had been building
between the US and Japan due to American opposition to Japanese expansion in Asia, the Pearl
Harbor attack served as the immediate catalyst for US involvement.
At home, the United States mobilized large-scale to support the war. The economy
shifted to a wartime footing, with industries retooling to produce military equipment and
supplies. Millions of Americans entered the workforce, including women who took on
traditionally male-dominated roles in factories and other essential sectors. Rationing of goods
such as gasoline, rubber, and certain foods became commonplace as resources were diverted to
the war effort. The government, therefore, introduced measures such as price controls and
restrictions on wages paid so as to control inflation. Civil liberties were sometimes curtailed in
the name of national security, with Japanese Americans facing internment in camps due to
unfounded fears of intelligence.
Abroad, the United States' entry into the war had profound consequences for the conflict
and the post-war world order. American industrial might and workforce played a crucial role in
turning the tide against the Axis powers. The American air force was involved in primary
operations, including the Normandy landings and fighting island by island in the Pacific
(Hammel, 2020). The building and the utilization of Atomic missiles on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
helped in forcing Japan's surrender. Upon the war's end, the United States took on the position of
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a world superpower and assumed an active role in governing the postwar world through the
Marshall Plan and the formation of the UN at the beginning of the Cold War.
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References
Hammel, E. (2020). Air War Pacific: America’s Air War Against Japan in East Asia and the
Pacific 1941–1945. Daniel Hammel. https://books.google.co.ke/books?
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United+States+involvement+in+Second+World+War+was+the+attack+by+Japanese+on
+the+US+Naval+base+at+Pearl+Hawaii+on+7th+of+December,
+1941.+&ots=Bi_z7KjdW3&sig=8VRhMCHGWYpSw63DxO_JS9Y4h30&redir_esc=y
#v=onepage&q&f=false
