In the second unit of Policy and GCE, we learned more about the Executive branch of the US Government. In our Internal Investigation, we explored the powers of the Executive branch and what it has the right to do in the government according to the Constitution. During one FE to the Chicago History Museum, we went to a Spies and Espionage exhibit that had lots of information relating to the wars, conflicts, and policies we were studying in class. For this Action Project, we were asked to write an essay that speaks our opinion on weather or not we though a war of our choice in US history was justified.
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| CNN. (2016) German Troops Marching |
As many know, World War II began with Germany invading Poland in 1939. The Germans, being upset from the outcomes of WWI and the Treaty of Versailles, were evidently not very happy with many parts of Europe. Using this hatred to fuel his rise to power, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party quickly became a large force in Germany (US Army). After the inciting incident in Poland occurred, it was not long before the world began splitting itself into different sides of the fight. While over 30 countries were involved in WWII, the primary conflict was split between the two major powers: Axis and Allies. The Axis powers included Japan, Germany, and Italy. The Allied powers included Britain, France, China, Soviet Union, United States, and others (History.com). One of the most important events for the US during WWII was the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. This was the primary reason that the US ended up entering the second World War. Because of it’s need to protect itself and defend the values it holds, the United State’s entry into World War II was justified.
The US president at the time of entry, Franklin D. Roosevelt, played a large part in both the US’s participation in WWII and generating support from other countries and the American people. According to History.com’s page on Roosevelt, “On December 8, 1941, the day after Japan bombed the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt appeared before a joint session of Congress, which declared war on Japan.” According to the Constitution, the power to declare war lies with Congress. As we can see, Congress was, in the end, the deciding factor as to whether or not the US participated in the war. However, it seems that Roosevelt appeared at the session of Congress to express his support for the country’s entry into the war. Later in that same History.com article, it says “Roosevelt spearheaded the alliance between countries combating the Axis, meeting frequently with Churchill and seeking to establish friendly relations with the Soviet Union” and “he spoke constantly on the radio, reporting war events and rallying the American people in support of the war effort”. Based on these two quotes, it is obvious that Roosevelt was at the helm of the War against the Axis powers, wanted the American people to rally behind his cause, and was a large influence on the other countries apart of the Allied powers.
Unfortunately, in Roosevelt’s efforts to protect his people, he made a mistake with a policy he implemented during the war. According to the Chicago History Museum (CHM), “In 1942, Roosevelt signed executive order 9066, authorizing the military to forcibly relocate and intern people it considered a security risk”. In the panic and fear of the recent attack on US territory, Roosevelt tried to contain any possible threat to the US. This would seem a reasonable action on a small scale. However, according to the same CHM info source “120,00 people of Japanese ancestry--most of them US citizens living on the West Coast--were interned primarily because of their ethnic origin”. What seemed to be a way to isolate and contain serious and legitimate risks to safety of American citizens turned into a fear-fueled witch hunt for any person who looked to be of Japanese descent. This executive order was both unjust and unconstitutional based on the fifth amendment. According to the Constitution, “No person shall...be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law”. People were being interned and promptly stripped of their liberty just because of their ancestry and without a proper trial or law process. Therefore, this executive order was unconstitutional and should have never been allowed to go into effect. Even though US’s entry into WWII was justified because of our need to protect ourselves, president Roosevelt should've gone to the length of creating an unconstitutional executive order to increase security.
Overall, it is understandable and reasonable to me why the US and president Roosevelt joined World War II. The attack on Pearl Harbor and the need to protect our country from the foreign threats of the war made it almost impossible to stay uninvolved. However, Executive order 9066 was not a just way of increasing the safety of Americans. In order to prepare our country from future threats and to equip ourselves with the right means to ensuring security, it is important for us to analyze both the successes and mistakes that have been made in the past.
Works Cited
"Franklin D. Roosevelt." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 21 May 2017.
N.d. Exhibit: Spies, Traitors, and Saboteurs. Chicago History Museum, Chicago.
U.S. Constitution. Amend. V.
US Army. "The Outbreak of War." Brief History of the U.S. Army in World War II. N.p.: U S Govt.
Printing Office, 1992. N. pag. Print.
"World War II History." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 21 May 2017.
