In Europe, America, and Asia, the worldwide economic depression of the 1930s took its toll in various ways. In various European countries, notably Germany, Italy, and Spain, political power passed to authoritarian and imperialist governments. In Asia, a resource-scarce Japan sought to grow aggressively, invading China and vying for control of a Pacific sphere of influence. The United States, on the other hand, has chosen to stay out of international issues in order to focus on its own economic challenges.
During the Great Depression, Americans favoured isolationism, believing that involvement in international issues would only deepen domestic difficulties. After the Japanese…