Why did the US initially stay neutral in World War 2?

Answer 1

I have to assume you mean prior to Dec 7, 1941. For after that the US was hardly neutral. Prior to that bombing of Pearl Harbor the United States basic policy was one of neutrality and isolationism stemming from WWI. President Roosevelt did offer and aid through material sources help to Great Britain prior to our delcaration of war on Germany.Supplies were sent and guarded by the US Navy to England throughout the early years of 1940 and 1941.As to the invasion of Poland and why we did not declare war on Germany then, we had no treaty with European Countires to aid them in time of war.Only after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor did we declare war and only with Japan. Hilter soon after delared war on the US and our country was in an all out war on two fronts.

Our neutrality was in the period before Pearl Harbor. The attack by the Japanese against our fleet instantly ended all thoughts of neutrality.

Why did we wish to be neutral? There are a variety of reasons.

1. The United States was in the middle of the "Great Depression," and we had our hands full trying to recover from that great problem. We didn't need to add to our troubles by going to war.

2. In our minds we had "won" the Great War (WW I) for the Allied side. Our president, President Wilson had suggested the "14 Points" which were so fair that it pursuaded the Germans to ask to end the war. (Summarized it said the war should end with no winners and no losers). President Wilson personally traveled to Paris to help plan, not only the end of the war, but a way to end wars in the future. He was mostly ignored by the leaders of England and France that felt it was necessary to punish Germany and reward their own nations. In that way they could tell their people that those that died had gained something for their nations. We Americans were aware of how they idnored our president, and felt that the Second World War was their fault for not following Wilson's plan. So if they ignored us, we would then ignore them. It was their fault there was a Second World War.

3. In the period between the wars it was revealed in a book that we had broken the English and French codes, and that during the peace talks that followed The Great War one of thse leaders had suggested that Wilson was trying to prevent their desires for glory and rewards for winning, and perhaps they should kill Wilson. It is most unlikely the suggestion was serious, but even if meant as a joke we found it to be bad thinking. So if that is the way they thought about the American leader, then they didn't deserve our help.

4. We suspected the British tricked us into joining WW I. That the sinking of the Lusitania was set up by the British to get American mad enough against the Germans to declare war. We will never know of sure it that was true, but it was suspected by many Americans, and that influenced our thinking. We did find out after the war that the British had purposely delayed the release of some information until they had enough combined things that would make American so mad they would demand war. (We believed in "Freedom of the Seas" meaning the right of a neutral nation to sail anywhere at anytime, even during a war. This hurt the German chance for victory, so for a time they sank our supply ships going to England. President Wilson was able to get them to stop sinking our ships. This continued for more than a year, but the Germans realized they could not win if they didn't shut off ALL supplies going to England, so they planned to start sinking American ships again. (This was called "Unrestricted Submarine Warfare.) The British discovered this information, and told us about the German plan a day ahead of time, plus they revealed another secret they had discovered -- "The Zimmerman Note." This "note" was a deal the Germans wanted to make with Mexico. If Mexico would declare war on the U.S. Germany would win the war. Having won the war they would demand America return the state of California and the territories of Arizona and New Mexico (they were not States yet) to Mexico. The combination of those two bits of information made Americans so mad even the President could not prevent a declaration of war.

5. Many Americans were of German and Italian origin. They were impressed by what had happened in Germany and Italy in the years before the war started. At the least they thought we should stay out of a "European War," that had nothing to do with us.

6. There was the "American First" movement. The attitude was that we had our own problems, and should think of America before we thought of any problems in some other part of the world. One of the most important speakers for this group was Charles Lindberg. Possibly the most famous American at that time. Lindberg had toured Germany (and other countries) before the war. The Germans liked him so much that they not only showed him their latest and most secret aircraft, but even let him fly one of their newest aircraft. Lindberg returned to America convenience that the Germans were so advanced over our nations aircraft (which they were), that we should not get involved in a war we could not win.

So the to your question is not one, but a combination of different influences.

Answer 2

US was not neutral! Never has been! Never will! Switzerland is neutral, US is not! 'Never has been' is inaccurate. Until the attack on Pearl Habor on 7 December 1941 the U.S. was neutral. Having said that, I'd like to add that ealier in 1941 the U.S. helped Britain financially, and there is room for debate as to how strictly neutral America actually was, but it wasn't a combattant at that stage. As for the original question, politics is often described as 'the art of the possible'. Whatever Franklin Roosevelt's personal sympathies, there was no point in antagonizing Congress over the issue.

Answer 3

The United States was not directly related to the war until the attack of Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941 by the Japanese. The following day the United States declared war and joined World War 2. As the previous answerer exlaimed, the Russians faced extreme casualties but in truth we owe a huge dept to all the people fighting for our freedom.
Our neutrality was in the period before Pearl Harbor. The attack by the Japanese against our fleet instantly ended all thoughts of neutrality.

Why did we wish to be neutral? There are a variety of reasons.

1. The United States was in the middle of the "Great Depression," and we had our hands full trying to recover from that great problem. We didn't need to add to our troubles by going to war.

2. In our minds we had "won" the Great War (WW I) for the Allied side. Our president, President Wilson had suggested the "14 Points" which were so fair that it pursuaded the Germans to ask to end the war. (Summarized it said the war should end with no winners and no losers). President Wilson personally traveled to Paris to help plan, not only the end of the war, but a way to end wars in the future. He was mostly ignored by the leaders of England and France that felt it was necessary to punish Germany and reward their own nations. In that way they could tell their people that those that died had gained something for their nations. We Americans were aware of how they idnored our president, and felt that the Second World War was their fault for not following Wilson's plan. So if they ignored us, we would then ignore them. It was their fault there was a Second World War.

3. In the period between the wars it was revealed in a book that we had broken the English and French codes, and that during the peace talks that followed The Great War one of thse leaders had suggested that Wilson was trying to prevent their desires for glory and rewards for winning, and perhaps they should kill Wilson. It is most unlikely the suggestion was serious, but even if meant as a joke we found it to be bad thinking. So if that is the way they thought about the American leader, then they didn't deserve our help.

4. We suspected the British tricked us into joining WW I. That the sinking of the Lusitania was set up by the British to get American mad enough against the Germans to declare war. We will never know of sure it that was true, but it was suspected by many Americans, and that influenced our thinking. We did find out after the war that the British had purposly delayed the release of some information until they had enough combined things that would make American so mad they would demand war. (We believed in "Freedome of the Seas" meaning the right of a neutral nation to sail anywhere at anytime, even during a war. This hurt the German chance for victory, so for a time they sank our supply ships going to England. President Wilson was able to get them to stop sinking our ships. This continued for more than a year, but the Germans realized they could not win if they didn't shut off ALL supplies going to England, so they planned to start sinking American ships again. (This was called "Unrestricted Submarine Warfare.) The British discovered this information, and told us about the German plan a day ahead of time, plus they revealed another secret they had discovered -- "The Zimmerman Note." This "note" was a deal the Germans wanted to make with Mexico. If Mexico would declare war on the U.S. Germany would win the war. Having won the war they would demand America return the state of California and the territories of Arizona and New Mexico (they were not States yet) to Mexico. The combination of those two bits of information made Americans so mad even the President could not prevent a declaration of war.

5. Many Ameicans were of German and Italian origin. They were impressed by what had happened in Germany and Italy in the years before the war started. At the least they thought we should stay out of a "European War," that had nothing to do with us.

6. There was the "American First" movement. The attitude was that we had our own problems, and should think of America before we thought of any problems in some other part of the world. One of the most important speakers for this group was Charles Linberg. Possibly the most famous American at that time. Linberg had toured Germany (and other countries) before the war. The Germans liked him so much that they not only showed him their latest and most secret aircraft, but even let him fly one of their newest aircraft. Linberg returned to America convience that the Germans were so advanced over our nations aircraft (which they were), that we should not get involved in a war we could not win.

Answer 4

The U.S. were neutral because they felt that this wasn't there war to fight. They didn't want to fight a war that they didn't have involvement in. They had just previouslly fought in the first WW and didn't want to put there country and people through that again.

The USA were neutral at the starting point of ww2 - after the Japanese attack on the 7th of December 1941 they entered war, respectively japan had declared war, Germany and Italy followed on the 11th and the 12th of December doing the same. That's more than two years after the war had started.

Answer 5

At the end of WW 1, American politicians and the general public came to realize how much in terms of money their involvement in Europe had cost them. The Treaty of Versailles moreover showed them that instead of healing relations as US president Woodrow Wilson had intended and proposed, the French and British were mostly out for revenge and humiliating the Germans.

As a result, the Americans decided that Europe showed no appreciation for US involvement and that staying involved in European affairs might well draw them again into a war that would be very costly in terms of money and casualties.

Added to that, all Hitler's early annexations up to - but also partly including - the attack on Poland were seen as reclaiming territory that had before 1918 been part of Germany anyway. The "Anschluss" of Austria was seen as something that had much support in Austria itself. Of the treatment of German Jews very little was known in the US. And Hitler's anti-Marxist and anti Communist views were seen as something that spoke in his favor.

When WW 2 started the consideration of the cost in money and human losses involved kept the public and a majority in Congress firmly isolationist (nobody foresaw that the war would be a boon for US industry that would finally end the Depression years). It took the attack of Germany's ally Japan and the declaration of war by Germany itself against the US to shift public feeling, and even then a lot of effort by President Roosevelt.

Answer 6

The U.S became neutral in ww2 because they didnt want another Great depression the first one had cost alot of damage and the U.S didnt want to go trough that again.

Answer 7

They did not see any reason as to invade, there was no immediate threat towards them.

Answer 8

because they were practicing isolationism