Maintaining a neutral military posture is not alien to the USA. The second world war actually started in August of 1934 with the assassination of German's President Paul von Hindenburg. Adolf Hitler would himself Führer of Germany, becoming Head of State as well as Chancellor. Hitler's power was incredible and even turned German loyalists away from their constitution to pledging their services to him.
The first world war ended in 1918. The USA had no interest in joining a war anywhere, yet alone within Europe against Germany.
This article appeared in an academic journal as there were those that opposed neutrality of the USA. This article can be requested from any local library through their interlibrary loan request department. The main circulation desk can answer questions about obtaining any article. They are normally free of charge within cooperating libraries.
"Troubles of a Neutral" (click here)
By Charles Warren
April 1934
Foreign Affairs; Apr34, Vol. 12 Issue 3, p377
The article presents a discussion related to the U.S. acting as a neutral country. Americans at the present time seem determined to refrain from joining with other countries in attempts to avert war, and equally determined to remain neutral and to keep out of any war that may occur between other countries. Personally, the author believes that the U.S. should not so refrain. Moreover, it will be impossible to remain neutral in any war between great powers resulting from a violation of the League Covenant or of the Kellogg-Briand Pact. But so long as this country holds to the opposite view, it is of immense importance that Americans who hope to keep out of war should be made to realize the burdens, which they must probably assume, and the rights which they must probably yield, in any attempt to fulfill their hope. For, in order to keep out of any future war between great powers, the U.S. must do far more than to remain technically neutral. In fact, the very condition of neutrality engenders frictions, which nowadays are likely eventually to implicate a powerful neutral in any war in which the great powers may be engaged.
History tells us the USA held off for a long time before entering WWII and then only when directly attacked. Europe, even today, would bemoan that reality. I think the period from 1934 to 1941 was a critical time of growth and competency for the USA. I think if it entered the war any earlier it would have been disastrous to the Allied war effort.
