On December 11, 1941, following Germany and Italy’s declarations of war on the United States, Congress responded with its own declarations of war against those countries. This action widened the conflict from a Pacific war with Japan to full participation in the global struggle of World War II. The decision ended debate about whether the United States would focus only on Japan. American forces soon coordinated closely with British and Soviet allies in Europe and North Africa. Industrial mobilization accelerated, transforming the U.S. economy into a wartime production powerhouse. The declarations made December 1941 a decisive turning point in twentieth-century history.
