- Imagine trying to rebuild your life after the worst economic disaster in American history, and then hearing news that the world might be heading toward another massive war.

That's exactly what was happening in the United States and right here in Georgia in the late 1930s.

At first, America tried to stay out of World War II, but through programs like the Lend-Lease Act, the U.S.

began sending supplies to countries already at war.

Then, everything changed with the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

So, how did the United States go from staying neutral to fully entering World War II and what role did Georgia play once the fighting began?

(paper rustles) By the late 1930s, many Americans hoped to stay out of foreign conflicts.

World War I had recently ended in 1918, and many Americans still remembered its enormous cost in lives, money, and destruction.

Because of that experience, most people desperately wanted to avoid being pulled into another global conflict, so when trouble started overseas, Americans hoped they could stay out of it.

World War II began in Europe in September 1939, when Germany invaded Poland.

When the war broke out, many people in the U.S.

believed it was a European problem, but dangerous changes were happening around the world.

Dictators like Adolf Hitler in Germany, Benito Mussolini in Italy, and leaders in Japan like Emperor Hirohito and Hideki Tojo promised strength, order, and power during the hard economic times of the Great Depression.

Remember, the Great Depression wasn't isolated to the United States.

It was a global crisis with many nations focused on their own economic struggles.

These leaders faced little early resistance as they expanded their power.

They used nationalism or strong loyalty to one's country to gain support, often at the cost of freedom and human rights.

Italy worked to restore its empire and took control of parts of Africa, Germany rebuilt its military, launched fast attacks across Europe, and took over nearby countries, and Japan expanded across China and Southeast Asia.

Together, these nations became known as the Axis powers, and as they grew stronger, the threat to global peace became impossible to ignore.

Even though the U.S.

officially stayed neutral, President Franklin Roosevelt worried that if the Axis powers won, democracy itself could be in danger.

That's why Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act in 1941.

This law allowed the U.S.

to send weapons, food, ships, and supplies to Great Britain and eventually other Allied nations without officially entering the war.

Not everyone supported this decision, however.

Some Americans feared it would pull the country into the fighting, but Lend-Lease helped Britain survive German attacks and signaled that the United States was siding with the Allies.

(paper rustles) As the U.S.

continued providing supplies to Allied nations, Japan saw this support as a threat to its expansion in Asia.

Hoping to weaken American power in the Pacific, Japanese forces launched a surprise attack on the U.S.

naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7th, 1941.

More than 2,000 Americans were killed and hundreds of ships and airplanes were destroyed.

The next day, President Roosevelt addressed the nation.

- Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

- Congress agreed with President Roosevelt and formally declared war on Japan.

Soon after, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.

Now, America was fighting a two-front war: one in Europe and another in the Pacific.

When the U.S.

entered World War II, Georgia became a key player.

The state was home to dozens of military bases, where soldiers trained for combat.

Some of Georgia's most significant bases included Fort Benning, Fort Gordon, and Robins Air Force Base, all of which are still in operation today.

Meanwhile, Georgia's industries were exploding with activity.

Factories built airplanes, ships, and weapons.

The Bell Bomber Plant in Marietta produced thousands of B-29 bombers used in the Pacific, while ports in Savannah and Brunswick shipped supplies overseas and shipyards built vessels for the Navy.

These efforts to support the war completely changed life at home.

Women filled factory jobs, Black Americans moved from farms into industrial work in greater numbers, and Georgia's economy surged after years of suffering during the Great Depression.

World War II did not begin with American troops landing overseas.

It began with choices.

Through the Lend-Lease Act, the United States supported its allies before it officially entered the war, then the attack on Pearl Harbor forced the nation to act.

When that moment came, Georgia was ready.

Military bases trained soldiers, factories and shipyards produced vital equipment, and ports shipped supplies across the world.

Georgians on the home front helped power the American war effort every single day.

World War II changed the course of history and Georgia helped determine the outcome.

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