Response to WWII

Response to WWII

Three critical events shaped the world, leading to the second world war in Europe. These events and situations included the Treaty of Versailles, the rise of fascism, militarism, and imperialism, and Hitler and the growth of the Nazi Party in Germany. On its part, the United States had adopted an isolationist policy where it never wanted to intervene or get involved in military disputes in Europe or any other part of the world. The U.S. Congress passed a series of Neutrality Acts in the second part of the 1930s that prohibited the federal government from a host of acts and interventions to aid any foreign power and nation involved in military actions (Corbett et al., 2014). For instance, the Neutrality Act of 1935 outlawed the sale of military products to warring nations, and in 1936, another act banned the loaning of money to such countries. These neutrality acts meant that the U. S’s role in the conflicts was minimal or neutral without any preferred ally. In the backdrop of an increasingly neutral and isolationist policy, Europe and Asia were witnessing monumental events after the end of WWI and the formation of the League of Nations through the Treaty of Versailles.

Scholars believe that the Treaty of Versailles was responsible for the second World War because it blamed Germany for the war and mandated it to pay substantial war reparations. For the German people, they believed that this position could have been different had the U.S. and its president Woodrow Wilson not taking a lenient stance (History.com Editors, 2019). The implication was that the treaty created resentment and deeply-rotted lack of trust in their new government called the Weimar Republic. Germans experienced high inflation as the country was required to pay war reparations (Hickman, 2019). Besides, the new government was unstable, and Hitler’s National Socialist Party, Nazi, took advantage of this situation to paint the Communist Party in the country as solely responsible for Germany’s burdens.

Hitler became the German Chancellor after the Nazi Party had garnered a majority of seats in parliament during the nation’s election in 1933. The Nazi Party had risen to power after the end of WWI and portrayed its need to reassert the German position and strategic importance in the world (History.com Editors, 2019). In Italy, the Fascist party led by Mussolini had risen to power and believed in a stable central government. The party also believed in imperialism and dictatorial actions to control people and industries. The fascist approach was a response to the liberal market economics and the inherent deep-seated fear of the communist regime from the Soviet Union. These fascist ideas resonated with the populace of the belligerent nations as it encouraged the use of conflict as a means of getting social improvement (Corbett et al., 2014). The implication was that these events worked well to influence nations’ world perspectives. The rise of fascism and imperialism was also evident in Japan that later on joined Germany and Italy to form the Axis Powers.

On its part, the U.S. believed that nations and their citizens have the right to resist fascism, imperialism, and dictatorial regimes that were rising in Europe and the Far East. The U.S. position and policy of neutrality assisted in promoting the WWII since it failed to help nations that were exposed or became vulnerable to totalitarian regimes. The intervention of the U.S. could have helped prevent this war since it could engage Germany, Italy, and Japan, who were facing tough economic times due to the effects of WWI. Despite its neutrality, the U.S. helped the Allies to defeat the Axis Powers, as demonstrated through the Atlantic Charter signed between the country and Britain. The U.S. became concerned when it realized that the U.K. could not handle an aggressive Germany and Hitler (Corbett et al., 2014). The entry of the U.S. into the war after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces demonstrates how the country, despite its Neutrality law and policy, helped the Allies. The U. S’s action of dropping an atomic bomb in Japan, as well as military assistance to France and Britain, assisted the Allies to defeat the Axis Powers.

References

Corbett, P., Janssen, V., Lund, J. & Fannestiel, T (2014). The Jazz Age: Redefining the Nation,

919-1929. In U.S. History. Retrieved from Retrieved from:

https://openstax.org/details/books/us-history

Hickman, K. (2019). Causes of World War II: Moving Towards Conflict. Retrieved from

https://www.thoughtco.com/world-war-ii-road-to-war-2361456

History.com Editors (2019). Adolf Hitler becomes the leader of the Nazi Party. Retrieved from

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hitler-becomes-nazi-party-leader