The United States in 1940-1941: isolationist or interventionist?

Thèmes abordés

United States in 1940-1941, isolationist country, interventionist country, US political situation, The America First Committee, the Atlantic Charter, Save Our Sons, Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Wilson's Fourteen points plan, Pearl Harbor

Résumé du document

First, these two documents deal with the US political situation in 1940-1941. In fact, it shows the different visions about the foreign policy. The first one is a picture which represents The America First Committee established in September 1940 in Chicago. This committee gathered over 850 000 members. This image was taken by a German photographer. The second one is an extract from the Atlantic Charter written and signed in August 1941. It states on the different points agreed by the United States and the United Kingdom for a military and an economical union and more precisely about the bases of their values to restore peace and a global order.

Extraits

[...] The United States in 1940-1941: isolationist or interventionist? First, these two documents deal with the US political situation in 1940- 1941. In fact, it shows the different visions about the foreign policy. The first one is a picture which represents The America First Committee established in September 1940 in Chicago. This committee gathered over members. This image was taken by a German photographer. The second one is an extract from the Atlantic Charter written and signed in august 1941. It states on the different points agreed by the United States and the United Kingdom for a military and an economical union and more precisely about the bases of their values to restore peace and a global order. [...]

[...] Thus, we can wonder if at this period, the United States is an isolationist or an interventionist country? First, we can say that this country adopts an inward-looking attitude. Therefore, that is a relative isolationism, confirmed by the entry in war in December 1941. As a conclusion, we can say that before the Japanese attack in the pacific in 1941 the United States were not ready to be engaged in the war but the circumstances pushed the country to take irreversible decisions. [...]