JoeyCatalano Period:7 Mirandola/Redding 3/6/14 AmericasInvolvementintheHolocaust ThebiggestreasonwhyAmericawashesitanttogetinvolvedwiththeHolocaust overinGermanywasbecausetheysimplydidnothavethemoneytofundaneffortthat wouldhelpendthegenocide.BetweentheeventsgoingoninboththePacificand Europeantheaters,theholocaustseemedtotakeabackseattotheeventsthatwereonthe forefront.Accordingtorecords,TheUSmilitarysspendingincreasedfrom$15billionin 1940to$93billionin1945(7).Withtheburstinspending,thismeantthatthegovernment andthemilitaryhadtocutbackandnotfundcertainwareffortsinordertosavesome money.AnotherexampleofhowtheUnitedStates'spendingwasareasontheycouldn't helpoutwiththeholocaustwasbecauseoftheeconomybackintheUS.

Eventhoughthe economydidnotdirectlyeffectwarefforts,itwasconstantlyinthemindsofgovernment officials.Theycouldn'tlettheiroverspendingonthewaraffectindustrialprosperityinthe country.Unfortunately,thespendingcamewithacost,"TheUSGDP(GrossDomestic Product)droppedfrom$103.6billionin1929,to$56.4billionin1933"(16)nearlya50 percentdecrease.Althoughthiswasduringthedepression,theUScouldn'triskitsnew foundprosperity.Duringthewar,morejobswerecreatedandpeoplebecamemorebetter offfinanciallythentheywereinthe1930's.Withthisprosperity,moneycouldnotbespent ontheholocaustbecausetherewasmoreneedforanyextramoneytobespentbettering thetheUnitedStatesaswhole.Afinalelementofnationalspendingthataddedtoour reluctancetoactduringtheholocaustwasbecausePresidentRooseveltspokeofsavings

throughdisarmament.Hesaid,"Armscompetition,morethananyotherfactortodayis responsibleforgovernmentaldeficitsandthreatenedbankruptcy...thewaytodisarmisto disarm"(39).WhatPresidentRooseveltissayinghereisthatheisaddressingthefinancial stressthatthiswarhasbecomeandisnowsayingtheonlywayforthestressandwarto endisifeachcountryceasestocontinuethecompetitionofarmingtheirsoldierswiththe betterweaponsthenmostoftheeconomicheadacheswouldberesolved.Withthe presidentinthismindset,itishardtobelievethattheprimaryfocusoftheUSgovernment hadanythingtodowiththeholocaustbecauseitseemsherefromthisquotethattheywere lookingatwaystoendthewarandbringtroopshomeatthispoint.Allinallthereluctance toAmericatominimizetheholocaustinEuropewasbecausetheUnitedStateshadjust toomuchtodealwithinconjunctionwiththeirNational"over"spending.