When Japan launched a full-scale attack on southern China in 1937, President

Franklin D. Roosevelt knew war was inescapable. The questions are how did he know
war was inevitable and how did he ease the country into entering World War II? Both
answers relate to the imperialistic natures of Japan, Germany and Italy. Japan’s violation
of the Nine Power Treaty and the Kellogg-Briand Pact with their invasion of Manchuria
not only disrespected United States government but also implanted a sense of Japanese
imperialism in FDR’s mind.

National security was the most important factor in America’s entrance into WWII
because the combined power of the axis nations presented an immediate threat to the
safety of the United States.