Gallup Vault: U.S. Opinion and the Start of World War II

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Sept. 1, 1939, after previously seizing Austria and Czechoslovakia, Nazi Germany invaded neighboring Poland, resulting in Britain and France declaring war on Germany and thus kicking off World War II in Europe.
As all of this was unfolding, in a poll conducted Sept. 1-6, 1939, Gallup asked Americans to what degree they supported assisting England, France and Poland. Americans supported providing material assistance to these three countries but were overwhelmingly opposed to sending military forces to fight Germany.

In a separate question in the same 1939 poll, Americans were specifically asked if the U.S. should declare war on Germany in support of England, France and Poland and should deploy forces to assist those countries. Americans were strongly opposed, with 90% rejecting the idea and 8% in favor.
Less than two weeks after Germany’s invasion of Poland, Gallup asked Americans about two options for trading Poland’s independence for peace with Adolf Hitler. The American public resoundingly rejected both options, with 69% saying no to trading part of Poland for peace and 76% disapproving of exchanging the entire country to cease hostilities.

In addition to rejecting appeasement, a majority of Americans in September 1939 perceived Germany as a serious threat to the U.S. When asked if Germany would eventually attack the U.S. in the event that England, France and Poland lost the war, 58% of Americans thought it would. Fewer than four in 10, 35%, did not believe Germany would attack the U.S. “sooner or later” if the Allies were defeated.
In February 1940, after Poland had fallen, Gallup again asked Americans for their views on accepting German conquests in exchange for peace with the Nazis. More than half, 53%, opposed allowing the Germans to keep Czechoslovakia in exchange for peace, and 63% said the same about Poland.

In line with Americans’ opinions on the issue, neither the U.K. nor France would offer to trade Poland or any other occupied territory to the Nazis in exchange for peace. In May 1940, German forces invaded and conquered both France and the Low Countries, rendering moot any question of trading Poland for peace.
The war continued — and four days after Japan attacked U.S. forces at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Germany declared war on the United States, bringing the country into World War II.