WWII Expert Interview

Interview with Loretta Wallace, History Degree with honors from Madonna University, inducted into National Professional History Honors fraternity of Phi Alpha Theta, TA for history professors


Me: Was the US considering going to war before the attack on Pearl Harbor?


Loretta: There are theories that President Franklin Roosevelt wanted to enter the war, but the country as a whole was still based on isolationism and did not want to go to war after WWI. President Roosevelt was a people pleaser and really took in to account his countries feelings on the issue. His issue was with Japan as opposed to Germany.


Me: How was it decided that the US form a union Stalin?


Loretta: Well the US was leery at first of course, but they figured, as I'm sure you have learned, that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So when the Germany broke the nonaggression pact, the US saw it as a good time to gain an ally with Stalin. Both the US and the Soviet Union wanted to take back control of Europe so it worked out for the both. There wasn't anything major that really made them become allies. Basically the president just wanted to beef up relations with the Soviets.


Me: What prompted America to drop the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima?


Loretta: This question leads to many debated intentions. They wouldn't surrender their fight in the pacific and the death tolls from both sides were only going to increase. When the US knew war was ending they wanted also to send the message to their Soviet Union "buddies" to show them where the power stood. Pearl Harbor was the excuse for the bomb but it was a strong intimidation tactic to the Soviets. Not that the bomb needed an excuse, but there was definitely more to the bomb drop that winning the war in the Pacific.