The USA’s entry into World War II influenced consistently the balance of power in the world and, to a significant extent, predetermined the outcome of the war. At the same time, the involvement of the USA in World War II was provoked by the growing aggression from the part of Japan as well as Germany which threatened to the strategic ally of the USA in Europe, Great Britain.
In fact, the formal cause of the USA’s entry into the war was the attack of Japanese military forces on Perl Harbor, which led to numerous casualties in the US army. In addition, this attack was a direct aggression of Japan against the USA that made the involvement of the USA in World War II practically inevitable (Weinberg and Gerhard, 2005). At the same time, the USA could not ignore the development of German power in Europe, because Germany was the ally of Japan and, as Germany threatened to Great Britain, it also threatened to the national interests of the USA in Europe. Obviously, the loss of Great Britain would lead to the dominance of Germany, while the USA was likely to face its opponents face-to-face without any external support. Moreover, it was likely that the USA had to oppose to both Japan and Germany, if it failed to assist to its allies in Europe (Weinberg and Gerhard, 2005). The US military involvement in Europe undermined the position of Germany and forced Germans to concentrate their military forces on both fronts, Western and Eastern that proved to be fatal to Germany and led to its downfall.


The war influenced not only Europe but also the USA itself because women and African Americans, which were traditionally viewed as secondary-class citizens, had proved their importance for the country (Weinberg and Gerhard, 2005). For instance, women had to do male jobs, while many African Americans fought together with white Americans in the battlefield.
Thus, the USA had to enter World War II that led to the defeat of Japan, Germany and its allies, but it also influenced the USA as well.

References:
Weinberg, S. M. and Gerhard L. (2005). A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II. New York: New Publishers.

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