AXIS AGGRESSION, FAILURE OF THE LEAGUE, BLITZKRIEG
The United States of America decided to end their isolationistic practices and join the fight
against Germany because of the increasing aggression of fascists, the fact that remaining
neutral would give the fascists the advantage, and, most infamously, the attack on Pearl Harbor
by the Japanese.
Originally, America was determined to remain neutral. However, fascist countries were
becoming increasingly more aggressive as time passed by. For instance, in 1935, Italy invaded
Ethiopia, and this forced Franklin d. Roosevelt, the United States president at the time, to stop
arms sales to Italy. However, in order to maintain a neutral stance, nothing else could be done
to halt this rise in aggression by the fascists. In addition, remaining neutral also meant that the
U.S. could not supply arms to the Allies or the Axis Powers. This gave the fascists a noticeable
advantage because they were already being generously supplied by Italy and Germany. The
final straw came when the Japanese launched an all-out attack on Pearl Harbor. This was
viewed as a complete defeat for the U.S. The Japanese killed 2,400 Americans and damaged
almost 200 American aircraft, while losing only 3 submarines and less than 30 aircraft. This
finally motivated Roosevelt and the rest of America to join the battle against Germany.