General Discussion

Tierra_y_Libertad

(50,414 posts)

33. Actually, had Hitler not declared war on us, it would have been a hard sell to fight him.

Wed Mar 6, 2013, 03:37 PM

Mar 2013

Most Americans wanted to fight the Japanese only at the time. Hitler, in an amazing act of stupid, did FDR a favor in declaring war on us so FDR didn't have to convince the American people that it was in our interest to fight Germany.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

40 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Related to another OP, should the US have entered World War II earlier than it did? [View all] pampango Mar 2013 OP

Had we entered the war earlier, it might have been over in MineralMan Mar 2013 #1

The benefits of the massive bombardments is questionable. n/t Cary Mar 2013 #3

Perhaps so. I haven't studied the strategic MineralMan Mar 2013 #6

I wouldn't say I studied it closely but my understanding is that we realized limited benefits and Cary Mar 2013 #24

Both things are true. Until WWII, the capacity MineralMan Mar 2013 #30

I think history shows that bombing civilians increases their hatred and will to fight rather than pampango Mar 2013 #29

Second guessing historical characters, with the advantage of hindsight... Cary Mar 2013 #2

+1. This Thread Belongs In American History Group, Not GD. (nt) Paladin Mar 2013 #11

The movie The Final Countdown addresses exactly that. Pararescue Mar 2013 #18

I hated the ending. Peter cotton Mar 2013 #20

I thought the ending sucked also. Pararescue Mar 2013 #25

Roosevelt had to wait until the country would support the war... tokenlib Mar 2013 #4

I agree. In fact I posted that FDR had no choice given the sentiments of the time. pampango Mar 2013 #7

We should have at least used the Neutrality Act to prosecute Prescott Bush and other Wall St leveymg Mar 2013 #5

Prescott Bush was quoted as saying, "If I could just talk to Mr. Hitler..." lastlib Mar 2013 #9

That's an important quote, but it was Sen. Borah who said it, according to Rob't Parry leveymg Mar 2013 #17

Given the isolationist stance sarisataka Mar 2013 #8

All very interesting and plausible possibilities. Just goes to show how unpredictable war pampango Mar 2013 #23

I like reading what if books... sarisataka Mar 2013 #28

US traditionally didn't declare war until attacked. reformist2 Mar 2013 #10

Other: we should have prevented WWII by never having WWI Taverner Mar 2013 #12

How would you have stopped WWI from happening? pampango Mar 2013 #15

The Czarist Okhrana precipitated the assassination plot of the Austrian Archduke in Sarajevo. leveymg Mar 2013 #19

That's a toughie, but a big part would be to render Archduke Ferdinand's killing irrelevant Taverner Mar 2013 #35

Definitely *should* have entered earlier, but it was politically impossible. Nye Bevan Mar 2013 #13

From what I understand, Roosevelt was primarily concerned about LeftInTX Mar 2013 #14

It was Germany who declared war on us sarisataka Mar 2013 #22

There is no guarantee that an earlier entry to the war would have helped the allied cause. JVS Mar 2013 #16

I think you are right. It took us a long time to crank up military production and draft and train pampango Mar 2013 #26

Roosevelt wanted to, the people were adamantly opposed. n/t Egalitarian Thug Mar 2013 #21

We weren't ready in 1939 or 1940 Lurks Often Mar 2013 #27

The United States was not militarily ready for war. GreenStormCloud Mar 2013 #31

I agree that we were not ready - even in 1941. France and Britain were not ready either but pampango Mar 2013 #36

If France & England had been smarter they would have beaten Germany in 1940. GreenStormCloud Mar 2013 #37

Ubiquitous "other"--as a policy matter it may have made sense, but geek tragedy Mar 2013 #32

Actually, had Hitler not declared war on us, it would have been a hard sell to fight him. Tierra_y_Libertad Mar 2013 #33

I don't think it could have been much sooner...we didn't have a large army, joeybee12 Mar 2013 #34

What if we had had a strong army in 1939? Would entering the war at that point have been pampango Mar 2013 #38

Probably the right thing... joeybee12 Mar 2013 #40

I'm fundamentally an isolationist, but in the case of WW-II we royally screwed up. talkingmime Mar 2013 #39