FDR and WWII Involvement American Involvement in Term Paper

FDR and WWII involvement

American involvement in armed conflict is a messy topic; since the Civil War the nation has a history of being divided about wars. Today, many Americans question our nation's involvement in the Middle East; in the 1960s and 70s, the Vietnam war created a huge schism in the country. What many do not realize, however, is that disputes over American involvement in overseas wars dates back much further than September 11 or even Vietnam. The country did have conflicts about our involvement in World War II, a supposedly halcyon era of national unity and support for overseas intervention.

In fact, the nation was undergoing a significant controversy about entrance into World War II. I will examine Roosevelt's motives for declaring war on Japan as well as the possible motives of Japan in attacking the United States, which was not a declared enemy of Japan at the time of the attack.In this examination, I plan to demonstrate that Roosevelt did intend on aiding the allies in their struggle against the Nazis. The drawbacks to entering the war include Roosevelt's campaign promise not to, while the influences toward entering the conflict include the threat posed by a strong Japan (both physical and as a part of the greater Axis powers) as well as Roosevelt's belief in the Allied cause and desire to join the struggle for democracy against Hitler's Nazis.

Despite the fact that the Japanese attacked United States soil, the motives for the United States' declaration of war on Japan are not as clear as they might seem at first glance. Since Franklin D. Roosevelt was re-elected on a platform of not entering the war, many citizens were opposed to entering the conflict. This influence undoubtedly weighed on his mind as well as the minds of his….....