Do you think that the US should have come out earlier and join forces with other

Question: Do you think that the US should have come out earlier and join forces with other allies to stop the Germans!?

as a major world power, they only joined forces with the other allies to stop the German invasion of Europe, after Pearl Harbour in December 1941, nearly 2 years after WW 2 began!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Never ask an American that!. It is the shame of there country!.
The UK didnt wait 2 years to go into Iraq did it!? They didnt need a Pearl Harbour!.The UK wants friends that they can depend on not fair weather friends!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The problem with your premise is that you begin with "as a major world power!.!.!.!."
The US had a smaller and less well-equipped army than Romania, and an ocean to get across, in September 1939!. Secondly, the US buildup was slowed by its logistic support for Britain; and third, the US Navy and the Kriegsmarine were trading shots in the Atlantic several months before Pearl Harbor, though it was purposefully kept from the American public, who were not totally convinced we should be intervening in a European war!.
Since then, we've taken the alternate tack, and Europe has been critical of that choice!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You must remember that from the start of the war in 1939 and until our entry into the war we were staunch supporters of the Allies through Lend-Lease and we were preparing by conscriptipn!. Ther is also the political game to be considered here and a lot of Americans professed isolationism and non interference in European affaire and we had to wait for the proper opportunity to enter the war!. This does not mean that we had not taken sides but did it in a non-militarial way until Pearl Harbor!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No, they came in at just the right time!. Earlier would not have made a difference!.

Americans don't like to hear this, but the US was!.!.!.ahem!.!.!.
NOT a major world power at that time!. They'd beaten no one so far individually, lately, other than Spain (whose navy consisted of WOODEN ships) about 1900!. They had tipped the balance in WWI, but their contribution here was late and minimal!.!.!.

America's status as a world power was mostly the creation of general George Patton, who though having only 35,000-odd troops (less than Britain) managed to win leadership of the Allied forces in the final westward push to Berlin!. That, and the atomic bomb!.

The US could not have helped earlier than they did, because the Western front was virtually impregnable at that time, as proven by the disastrous attempted landing by British/Canadian troops in Dieppe!. The only other way in through the West was via Italy, which proved to be a costly, difficult, time-consuming way to get into central Europe!. D-Day happened as early as possible!.!.!.!.Once the
German army had been pretty well destroyed by the Soviets!.

The loudest arguers who say the US should have come in earlier were, ahem!.!.!.the Soviets! They charged that the US deliberately let the war go on a long time, to kill as many Nazis and Soviets as possible!. While this US strategy (I think myself, though, it was just impossible to open a Western front earlier) may have in fact saved many American soldiers' lives, it did escalate tensions for the Cold War!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The case with both world wars was that Americans felt it was not our fight and therefore would not have supported a war without just reason or provocation!. Politically, the leaders of the US, both Wilson in WW1 and Roosevelt WW2, knew that we must support the allies!. The majority of American citizens, while sympathetic with the Allied cause, had to have provocation to go to war!. We had not been attacked or invaded until our entry into both wars!. I think it is best that it worked out that way because once provoked into war, the American public was united in the fight and determined to see victory!. Unlike other wars - Vietnam, Iraq, for example!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Hi!.
The U!.S!. government had no mandate from the American people before Pearl Harbor!. Americans have always been wary of "entangling alliances" in foreign wars (a phrase from George Washington) and this was especially true after World War I!.
Most of the US population did not want to enter a war that had not yet affected them!. Therefore the government could not directly enter without disapproval of the majority of the population, until Pearl Harbor!. After the attack on the US, citizens wanted vengeance, allowing the government to enter the war without criticism!.
CATHORIO!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Should have!? Well, perhaps, but it wasn't really possible!. The best Rossevelt could do was create the Lend-Lease situation which allowed the US to become the arsenal of Democracy!. Most Americans were not too keen on the idea of figthting another war in Europe (or anywhere else, for that matter), nor in involving themselves in what they saw as yet another squabble between the European powers!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

In hindsight it is very hard to say!. In 1939 Hitler was allied with Russia!. If US declared war along with France and Britian- Hitler may have reacted differently!. Remember that Hitler invaded France and then let his air force attack England, if America had declared war he might have focused his attention on crossing the Atlantic instead of turning on Russia which is what he actually did!. It is an interesting question!. I do disagree with your view of the US as a "major world power," even economically speaking!. The country would be ranked maybe tenth in status of all industrial powers!. So it was a global player, but not exactly "major!." Rooselvelt showed every inclination of wanting to be in the war but as other have poitned out- America didn't want to fight another war!. For that matter neither did France or Britian!. Perhaps another question to ask is: If war hadn't come to Britian or France, would they have gone to it!? Until Pearl Harbor: War was not knocking on America's door, as it were!. I think that in Hindsight America should have considering the overwhelming "evil" of Hitler's regime!.!.!. but it may have worked out for the better!. That is not to say that mistakes were not made by the Allies- they most defnitely were!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Well, they came in late in WW1 too!. But, lets not forget that assistance came eventually and we all needed each other!. Incidentally, we have only (here in UK) just finished paying off 'Lend Lease' a couple of years ago!. More to the point is what a terrible mistake the Japanese made in attacking Pearl Harbour!? They must have been nuts!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

They only got involved,when it was in their own governments best interests!.We ceded important strategic ports and airfields,and only finished paying them back,a few years ago!
They wanted to curb the UK as a world 'superpower'!.
Read 'Friendly Fire' by Picknett & Prince!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It wasn't if they should!. Roosevelt would never have gotten the permission from congress to declare war on Germany without an act of war committed unto the US!. If he'd have continued and tried to push for a war on Germany, he'd have risked getting impeached!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

In addition to the other answers, don't forget that Britain was the only one of all the countries that received aid from the U!.S!.
(including Germany, Italy and Japan) that had to pay it back!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Well mabey but i think it was stratigical to wait!. Before Pearl Habour America was helping the allies with supllies and stuff and cutting of supllies to other countries such as Japan!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

America wont help anybody, as you say it was only because of pearl harbour they joined us!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It was a war in Europe!. Nothing to do with the Americans, until!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.Pearl Harbour!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

They were quite happy to trade with both sides untilDecember 1941!.
At that time one third of Americans were of german descentWww@QuestionHome@Com