Early 40s
In the beginning of the 1940s, the United States tried to maintain a policy of isolation. The U.S. government did not want to find itself entangled in the issues of Europe. The maintenance of this policy became an issue as World War 2 erupted in Europe. Because of Hitler's success in Europe, and because of the ongoing Battle of Britain, President Roosevelt needed to find ways to assist the British. Roosevelt found loopholes in the isolation policies that allowed him to send material aid to Britain. One of the ways he did this was by creating the Lend Lease Act. Through the Lend Lease deals, the U.S. could send equipment to Britain and to the USSR. This operation was in effect from March 1941 to the end of the war in 1945. The majority of Americans, however, were strongly against having anything to do with the fights in Europe. This general opinion changed on December 7, 1941.
After Pearl Harbor
The surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor sparked an extremely strong reaction in the American population. Understandably, the country was willing to fight against the all the Axis powers. When the United States joined the Allied powers, the country prepared to attack enemy forces in the Pacific and across the Atlantic. The military worked closely with the British, French, Australian, and even the Soviet forces. When the end of the war drew near, President Roosevelt tried to keep communications going between the Allies and the Soviets. At the Yalta conference, Roosevelt met with Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin to discuss the reorganization of post-war Europe.
After WW2
At the end of the war, the U.S. helped to establish the United Nations and NATO. As tensions developed with the Soviet Union, the United States began to adopt the idea of containing communism. Even as the war was coming to a close, western powers were rushing to claim land in order to stop the spread of Soviet forces. During the crisis in Berlin after the war, the United State developed the Marshall Plan. This policy gave the United States the ability to send in supplies to European countries that needed to rebuild. The U.S. and its allies also participated in the Berlin Airlift. This operation send millions of dollars of supplies in to the areas of East Berlin that had been blocked off by the Soviet Union.
As the tensions between East and West grew through the end of the 40s, the world began to prepare itself to be launched into the worrisome decades of the Cold War.
In the beginning of the 1940s, the United States tried to maintain a policy of isolation. The U.S. government did not want to find itself entangled in the issues of Europe. The maintenance of this policy became an issue as World War 2 erupted in Europe. Because of Hitler's success in Europe, and because of the ongoing Battle of Britain, President Roosevelt needed to find ways to assist the British. Roosevelt found loopholes in the isolation policies that allowed him to send material aid to Britain. One of the ways he did this was by creating the Lend Lease Act. Through the Lend Lease deals, the U.S. could send equipment to Britain and to the USSR. This operation was in effect from March 1941 to the end of the war in 1945. The majority of Americans, however, were strongly against having anything to do with the fights in Europe. This general opinion changed on December 7, 1941.
After Pearl Harbor
The surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor sparked an extremely strong reaction in the American population. Understandably, the country was willing to fight against the all the Axis powers. When the United States joined the Allied powers, the country prepared to attack enemy forces in the Pacific and across the Atlantic. The military worked closely with the British, French, Australian, and even the Soviet forces. When the end of the war drew near, President Roosevelt tried to keep communications going between the Allies and the Soviets. At the Yalta conference, Roosevelt met with Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin to discuss the reorganization of post-war Europe.
After WW2
At the end of the war, the U.S. helped to establish the United Nations and NATO. As tensions developed with the Soviet Union, the United States began to adopt the idea of containing communism. Even as the war was coming to a close, western powers were rushing to claim land in order to stop the spread of Soviet forces. During the crisis in Berlin after the war, the United State developed the Marshall Plan. This policy gave the United States the ability to send in supplies to European countries that needed to rebuild. The U.S. and its allies also participated in the Berlin Airlift. This operation send millions of dollars of supplies in to the areas of East Berlin that had been blocked off by the Soviet Union.
As the tensions between East and West grew through the end of the 40s, the world began to prepare itself to be launched into the worrisome decades of the Cold War.