Why did the Americans get involved in the second world war?

Question: Why did the Americans get involved in the second world war!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

The American government was itching to get into the fight against German and Japanese fascism!. The attack on Pearl Harbor was an attempt by the Japanese Navy to knock out the American Navy and make themselves the biggest fighting force and ruler of the Pacific Ocean with the ability to control the supply of resources (oil) throughout SE Asia!. They made one mistake, the American aircraft carriers were not in PH at the time of the bombing, and they became the backbone of the American fleet throughout the ensuing war!.

You should study WWII as it is the precursor for most of what has happened since then!. Things like the Cold War, the Berlin airlift, th arms race against the Russians, the space race, the Vietnam War, etc!. all were offshoots of WWII!.
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On December 7, 1941, Japanese submarines and carrier-based planes attacked the U!.S!. Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor!. Nearby military airfields were also attacked by the Japanese planes!. Eight American battleships and 13 other naval vessels were sunk or badly damaged, almost 200 American aircraft were destroyed, and approximately 3,000 naval and military personnel were killed or wounded!. The attack marked the entrance of Japan into World War II on the side of Germany and Italy, and the entrance of the United States on the Allied side!.

EDIT : Japan bombed Pearl Harbor because they wanted to get an oil trade ban by the USA lifted on terms that would still let them take the territory they wanted!. The U!.S!. had demanded that Japan withdraw from China and Indochina!. This had caused friction between Japan and USA!. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor due to this conflict!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

After Japan invaded French Indochina (Vietnam) the USA embargoed Japan's oil and sent them an ultimatum telling them to leave French Indochina before we would even talk to them!. Since the world was at war there as no other oil available on the market, so Japan had a choice of watching their economy collapse, or seize the Dutch oil fields in Indonesia!. (They didn't seriously consider agreeing to the US ultimatum, since the USA wouldn't even talk to them they didn't know if the USA would even let them buy oil again!.)

Since the USA had a huge military presence in the region, they attacked the USA to get to the oil in Indonesia!. Hitler was convinced he had to declare war on the USA, he rushed to declare war on the USA, saving Roosevelt the decision of asking Congress to declare war on Germany!.

In short: Long standing rivalry and sabre rattling between the USA and Japan in the Pacific finally led to the Japanese attack on the USA, and Hitler's Germany declared war on the USA a day or two later!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The American's refused to do anything more than give aid right up until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour, the public had been very anti war up until that point!. Once that happened then the American government were free to declare war on Japan and commit more assistance to us!.

EDIT: The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour for a number of reasons!. They were looking to secure the oil fields for their war effort in the Pacific relatively close to Australia that they thought would cause the American's to give resistence and made a preemptive move!.
Secondly they misunderstood the American psyche believing their lack of effort so far was a symbol of weakness!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour for a number of reasons, the main being President Roosevelt banning all exports of scrap iron, steel and oil to Japan!. Japan had lost more than 90% of its oil supply)!. Other causes which sparked the attack included; the belief that Japan was becoming encircled by Western powers, the fear of resources such as oil running low, the strong determination of advancing in the East Asia region, the United States demanding Japanese withdrawal from Indo-China, the United States opposing Japanese expansion and Japans demands were not being achieved by diplomacy!. The Japanese were keen on expanding their empire and had to make a decision between surrendering or going to war with the United States!.

When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the U!.S!. declared war on them!. Because Japan and Germany were in an alliance, Germany then declared war on the U!.S!. This pulled the U!.S!. into both theaters of war, Europe and the Pacific!.
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I've read a lot about the war but it was only recently that I found out the Americans had imposed an economic embargo on Japan!. There was a lot of tension in the Pacific and there was going to be war at some point!. The Japanese carried out a pre-emptive attack on Pearl Harbour before the US fleet could go to sea!. If they could destroy the US fleet in harbour it would give them free reign to take over most of the Pacific!. The attack was an open declaration of war on the US, and Germany (as an ally of the Japanese) declared war on the US soon after!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The japanese bombed Pearl Harbor becasue they where trying to take over all of the Islands in the Pacific and Hawaii was the last Island they needed to take over!. That is why the United States went into world War 2 becasue they bombed the US Navy Base!.

http://en!.wikipedia!.org/wiki/World_War_I!.!.!.

http://www!.nationmaster!.com/encyclopedia!.!.!.

http://www!.grolier!.com/wwii/wwii_mainpag!.!.!.

http://www!.worldwar-2!.net/

These are my favorite Websites that I have been to about World War 2

I hope this helps you Www@QuestionHome@Com

look at the estate of america today!. Just like bush said, War boost the ecomony!. My grand father was in war2, He told me some pretty cool stories about the world over their!. But it really has a lot to do with roosevelt and his party and the party memebers that inflenced him, And also Churchhill, and Hitler, Because the fact are that hilter really could have won that war!. So in some way america - was we are the back!.
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The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, bringing the US into the war!. Then a few days later Germany declared war on the US in support of their Japanese allies!. That put the US firmly on the Allied side instead of just being at war with the Japanese!.

The Japanese were expanding aggressively in the Pacific in an effort to secure territory with natural resources they lacked!. One area they wanted was the Philippines!. At the time, the Philippines was a US territory, so the Japanese knew they'd eventually be at war with the US anyway!. So they attacked Pearl in order to get a first strike!. They hoped to do enough damage to the US Pacific fleet that they could grab the territory in the Pacific unopposed while the US rebuilt her fleet!. This did work, just for a much shorter time than they hoped!. The US was fighting a defensive campaign for six months, with only a few hit and run type offensives!. But at Midway, they set a trap for the Japanese and the Japanese never recovered their earlier momentum!.

The war in Europe was a much tougher nut to crack in many ways, but Winston Churchill managed to convince Roosevelt to make defeating Germany the top priority!. This was probably a good idea, since realistically the US was not in any danger of invasion by Japan, but Russia and England were facing the very real threat of defeat at the hands of Germany!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Japan attacked America by bombing Pearl Harbour, so they entered the war to defend themselves
Japan was an ally of Nazi Germany, in order to win a war you must attack on all fronts or you will be vulnerable!. If they had put all their army against Japan on their west coast, then Germany could have invaded the UK and possibly attacked America from the Atlantic side!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

pearl habour - now seeing as my answer was first ill elaborate, pearl habour was an attack by japan, however their was already a war between the allies in mainland Europe of which the Americans werent part of though happy to profiteer when us the British were fighting off the germans trying to protect the liberties of all people, and we were being bombed day and night by german bombers but we never surrendered, however which countries capitulating Hitlers strength was growing and a pact was made with japan and it was thought best to fight the war in europe instead of just japan, you did a good job but was just too late we british aleady won air supremicy with our spitfier destroying any invasion hopes of hitlers on britain, though they should have realised from ww1 that a world war included themWww@QuestionHome@Com

The Americans declined to send any kinds of supplies to the Japan,the Japanese got mad,and attacked the Pearl Harbour,where alot of American marine was and almost destroyed it with plains and kamikazes!.It was then when the Americans fully entered the war!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

They joined us in WW2 after the Japanese bombed their air fleet at Pearl Harbour!. They destroyed the majority of their aircraft and took many, many lives!. However, they failed to damage a couple of their airecraft carriers and the Americans bought more planes and fought back!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

its because if the americans go to war they have uk to back them up thats why they helped the uk!. pearl harbour got bombed becuase the japanese fpund out they were helping the uk and found where all the warrior ships and planes were kept!. its got nothing to do with the germans,Www@QuestionHome@Com

1!. The UK had to cede important bases to them,because the USA was worried about us being a major World power!.
2!. The UK had to pay a lot of money for their help,which we only paid off a few years ago!.
3!. They were afraid that the US mainland,would be invaded!.

Read 'Friendly Fire' by Picknett & Prince!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Pure survival, The same as Britain!. somebody attacks you , you fight back and make allies , usually with those closely allied to you like second cousinsWww@QuestionHome@Com

as above pearl harbour, but also germany declared war on the usa the same day!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

so that they could harp on with the illinformed comeback 'ahhh if it wasnt for us youd all be speaking german' crap bahahahaWww@QuestionHome@Com

they entered after the attack of pearl harbourWww@QuestionHome@Com

Because of Pearl Harbour:Www@QuestionHome@Com

Dunno, but you were late!.!.!.!.!.!.again!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

beacause they needed to save their own buttsWww@QuestionHome@Com

I think it had something to do with Ben Affleck threatening to make a really bad movie!. He went ahead and made it anywayWww@QuestionHome@Com