USA HISTORY

AMERICAN IMPERIALISM(1890 1919)

THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR I

[SOURCES]
When war erupted in Europe in 1939, the response of the United States was

(A) ** to remain neutral.

(B) to assist only Britain.

(C) to immediately commit combat troops to the European front.

(D) to send troops to Europe, but not engage the enemy in battle.

EXPLANATIONS BELOW

Concept note-1: -When war erupted in Europe in 1939, the response of the United States was one of “isolation, ” since most Americans did not want to get involved in another European conflict, which they felt was none of their business.

Concept note-2: -World War II formally began on September 1, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland without a formal declaration of war. In support of their mutual defense treaty obligations with Poland, France and Great Britain issued ultimatums to Hitler for the immediate withdrawal of German forces from Poland.

Concept note-3: -Initially, this proposal failed, but after Germany invaded Poland in September, Congress passed the Neutrality Act of 1939 ending the munitions embargo on a “cash and carry” basis. The passage of the 1939 Neutrality Act marked the beginning of a congressional shift away from isolationism.

Concept note-4: -The best policy, they claimed, was for the United States to build up its own defenses and avoid antagonizing either side. Neutrality, combined with the power of the US military and the protection of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, would keep Americans safe while the Europeans sorted out their own problems.

Concept note-5: -The United States wanted to remain neutral because after WWI, most European nations refused to pay their debts. Because arms factories made so much money during the war, many Americans felt they had steered the country into war. The U.S. tried to remain neutral, but the British needed help.