What were the US objectives at the beginning of World War 2?

Answer 1

Prior to entering World War 2, the US was suffering from many problems. They were still suffering from the Great Depression. While on one hand pressure from European allies to help them in the war against Hitler was ever increasing, public opinion was against entering the war because of casualties in World War 1. Roosevelt needed a way to solve these problems.

At the same time Japan was growing in strength, ever since they became the first Asian country that defeated a western power in the Russo-Japanese war. They created the Greater Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, calling for the elimination of western powers in Asia. Japan was the only modernized Asian nation at the time and mistakenly believed it was their responsibility to modernize Asia and to lead Asians against the West. (Some Japanese even believed they were racially superior because they were able to fight on par with the west)

China, which was effectively being controlled by the British empire following defeat in the First and Second Opium Wars, became a major battle ground for Japan. America aided the British Empire by imposing an embargo on Japan, cutting off essential resources for the Japanese industrial machine. Without resources, Japan's industry only had resources for 6 months of production. Additionally, Japan faced the threat of its bustling economy due to the industrial machine would crash. Japan attacked Hawaii to break the embargo.

Prior to the attack, Japan, Germany, and Italy created the Tripartite Pact, which meant that a declaration of war by any of the three meant war with the other two. By Japan attacking US, Germany and Italy both declared war on the US, allowing the US to come to the aid of their European Allies. To the US, it didn't matter if it was Japan or Germany that attacked them, as long as one of them did.

Consequently, public opinion in the US changed completely and the US was able to enter the war and help their allies. Domestic military industrial production increased. Unemployed youth volunteered to fight in the war. With their deaths, unemployment problems decreased. The US was able to secure a foothold in Asia to project power and to gain its resources and markets for themselves. Also as an added bonus, the only non-western power was defeated, reestablishing western dominance in the world. Following the war, to justify cause, the US had to demonize the Japanese Empire, who in reality, was forced into World War 2 for reasons of security and existance. (The reason why the Japanese Empire didn't surrender until the USSR attacked Manchuria)