Henry J. Brajkovic
Students often wonder how the United States entered World War II. Some are especially interested in this topic since our involvement in the Vietnam war. Possibly some witnessed or remember the many anti-war demonstrations. Many are aware from television that there was a World War II, but don’t know what events and issues led the United States into it. Most students are unfamiliar with the international situations and events of the pre-World War II period. Unfortunately, misdirected epithets, such as “fascist pigs,” are heard nowadays, yet the students do not know what fascism is or what it stood for during the decades before World War II. The name of Hitler is used, quite often disparagingly, by students to show their displeasure with a strict disciplinarian and yet, they do not know how his policies caused the war in Europe.
Teachers could expand their students’ understanding of this unit of study by discussing the issues and problems that led the nations into World War II. The traditional concept of the U.S.A. as being simply the land mass between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans with Alaska up on the north might be given up for a view of how our scattered Pacific island possessions with the Philippine Islands made the U.S.A. a two-continent power, a North American and an Asiatic power. With this viewpoint the following issues will not appear to be unrelated to our vital interests:
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1.
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Our response to the Japanese expansion in Asia (1930’s) and the threat the Japanese felt our policies had on their vital interests.
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2.
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The impact of the domestic economic depression on foreign policy making.
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3.
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The expansionist policies of the Axis Powers in Europe and Africa and how the U.S. tried to cope with them through the Neutrality Acts.
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Our appeasement policies toward the Italian and German aggressions.
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Our gradual awareness of a threat to the Western Hemisphere by the expansionist policies of the Axis Powers in Latin America and what we did to meet it.
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A teacher does not have to cover all of these ideas but can make a choice of the ones he/she wants to concentrate on.
With this unit of study one could make the students aware of:
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Protectionism vs. international trade.
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Great Powers vs. small nations.
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Isolationism vs. internationalism.
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4.
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The minority problems (Jews in Europe, Germans in Sudetenland) and what the U.S. government could or could not do.
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5.
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When does neutrality end?
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6.
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What are the vital interests of a nation and what will a nation do to protect them?
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A teacher can also point out that one of the determinants of formulating a foreign policy was the juxtaposition of a Congress dominated by isolationist politicians and an internationalist President.
Other important points to stress to the students could be;
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How did F.D.R. advance his policies?
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When did F.D.R. bow to the power of Congress?
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3.
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When did F.D.R, respond to the national will to stay out of war?
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