Can anyone help with why America joined WW2 late?

I’m writing my EPQ on this topic and have done some research about reasons why and was just wondering if anyone on here has any reasons they could share?

Reply 1

Drewski

Original post by clarecassar

I’m writing my EPQ on this topic and have done some research about reasons why and was just wondering if anyone on here has any reasons they could share?

What are the reasons you've already got? It'll be easier to help if we know we're not repeating ourselves...

Reply 2

stillcrying

Original post by Drewski

What are the reasons you've already got? It'll be easier to help if we know we're not repeating ourselves...

Attack on pearl harbour
Isolationism
Saving money so would beat Britain as an economic competitor (?)
Effect of WW1 - death toll
Recovering from the Great Depression
War of Independence (?)
American army being ill equipped when compared to the Germans

Reply 3

StriderHort

Not totes sure what side they wanted to be on.

Reply 4

Justvisited

Original post by clarecassar

(1) explains why they finally entered the war in late 1941, not why they failed to enter it before
(2) for sure
(3) yes and maybe more cynically, some politicians looked further into the future to ending the British Empire and displacing them as leading nation
(4) but Europeans lost far more in WW1 yet started WW2
(5) ditto, Europeans had the same problem but still started the war
(6) ah, a very long-term grudge match?
(7) couldn't comment. But for sure the Germans were mentally prepared for war and had been heavily rearming for years before it started so had a great head start

No mention here of the German-American community's influence - was that a significant factor?

Reply 5

Justvisited

Original post by StriderHort

Not totes sure what side they wanted to be on.

That could be explained by the German-Americans and quite likely also by the Irish-Americans who had their own grudge re. the Brits.

Also, a simple sense that regardless of what happened in Europe they in America would be safe, and it would be quite logistically challenging to get all that heavy military gear over to Europe (a lot more of it and more advanced than 20 years previous)

Reply 6

ewanjwilson

Original post by clarecassar

I’m writing my EPQ on this topic and have done some research about reasons why and was just wondering if anyone on here has any reasons they could share?

The main cause of this was America's attitude: Isolationist. I'd suggest taking a look into the views of the American people after the Great War (WWI) and also look at their impact economically around the word before and after the Wall Street Crash. For instance, look into how Roosevelt urged Congress to take part in WWII and perhaps how some Americans actually did volunteer to join the RAF in Britain. I don't want to tell you loads of stuff because it would be better for you to look into it all yourself, but check out a few of these websites:
- https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/american-isolationism (From an American point of view)
- https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/wcfia/files/579_mythofusisol.pdf (This is quite an interesting paper looking at how perhaps American Isolationism was a 'myth')
- https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States/The-United-States-from-1920-to-1945 (Looking onwards here from The United States from 1920-1945 and when they entered the war: under title 'WW2' I believe.

Hopefully, this will help! All the best!