7 Most Powerful Countries Before World War 2

3. United States

The United States in the wake of the Great Depression in 1929 had distanced itself from the tide of fascism sweeping over Europe and Asia during the next decade. Despite the economic challenges it faced at home, the United States was still regarded among the most powerful countries before World War 2, because it had the largest economy in the world in nominal terms. While the country remained on the sidelines of the conflict until the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, it lent significant financial and military support in the form of weapons to Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union, with the hope that it would tilt the outcome of the battle. As far as military strength is concerned, while the United States only had a manpower of 119,000, the country was technologically ahead of most and had advanced aircraft and naval assets. In the years that followed, millions joined the US military to defend the nation and the country’s industry worked at full capacity, dedicating its efforts to support the war which ultimately resulted in victory for the Allied Powers.