Gallup Polls April - October 1941

How would you characterize the state of American public opinion concerning the war in Europe in the months before Pearl Harbor? What changes after the Greer incident in September 1941?
Are there significant differences in public opinion in 1941, as compared to 1940 ? After the Greer incident, how much public support did FDR have for his foreign policies?

No related resources

Introduction

These are examples of poll data Gallup collected to assess Americans’ views about the European War between April and October of 1941. By this point, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had established his Lend-Lease policy. In September, in the wake of the Greer incident, Roosevelt ordered U.S. ships to protect British convoys carrying American goods overseas and to shoot on sight any German submarines or ships discovered in American-controlled waters. In announcing each policy, Roosevelt asked for the nation’s support. Gallup polled Americans to determine their reactions to these developments.

We have edited Gallup’s presentation of the data he collected. On two occasions (the April 25 and October 8 polls), Gallup excluded the “no opinion” or “decline to respond” option when calculating the percentages for other possible responses. To avoid confusion, we provide the “no opinion” data for these two polls in footnotes.

—Jennifer Keene

Source: George H. Gallup, The Gallup Poll: Public Opinion 1935-1971, Vol. I: 1935-1948 (NY: Random House, 1972), 275, 276, 278, 299, and 301.


April 1941

Do you think the United States should send part of our army to Europe to help the British?

April 21, 1941

Yes 17% No 79% No opinion 4%

Do you think the United States should send part of our air force with American pilots to Europe to help the British?

April 21, 1941

Yes 24% No 69% No opinion 7%

Do you think the United States should send part of our warships manned by American sailors to Europe to help the British?

April 21, 1941

Yes 27% No 67% No opinion 6%

Should the United States Navy be used to guard ships carrying war materials to Britain?

April 23, 1941

National Response
Yes 41% No 50% No opinion 9%
By Region
New England
Yes 41% No 49% No opinion 10%

Middle Atlantic
Yes 41% No 49% No opinion 10%

East Central
Yes 35% No 56% No opinion 9%

West Central
Yes 33% No 58% No opinion 9%

South
Yes 59% No 30% No opinion 11%

West
Yes 42% No 52% No opinion 6%

If it appears that Britain will be defeated unless we use part of our navy to protect ships going to Britain, would you favor or oppose such convoys?

April 23, 1941

Favor 71% Oppose 21% No opinion 8%
National Response

Which side do you think will win the war—Germany and Italy, or England?

April 25, 1941

Germany & Italy 11% England 57% Stalemate 8% No opinion 24%

Do you think Britain should try to get together with Germany to work out some sort of peace, or do you think Britain should go on fighting?1

April 25, 1941

Make peace 29% Go on fighting 71%

Do you think the United States will go into the war with Europe sometime before it’s over, or do you think we will stay out of the war?

April 27, 1941

Will go in 82% Will stay out 18%

If you were asked to vote today on the question of the United States entering the war against Germany and Italy, how would you vote—to go into the war, or to stay out of the war?

April 28, 1941

Go in 19% Stay out 81%

If it appeared certain that there was no other way to defeat Germany and Italy except for the United States to go to war against them, would you be in favor of the United States going to war?

April 28, 1941

Yes 68% No 24% No opinion 8%

May 1941

Are you familiar with the views which Charles Lindbergh has expressed concerning American foreign policy?

May 9, 1941

Yes 58% No 42%

Asked of those who responded in the affirmative: Do you agree or disagree with what Charles Lindbergh says?

May 9, 1941

Agree 24% Disagree 63% No opinion 13%

If Canada is actually invaded by any European power, do you think the United States should use its army and navy to aid Canada?

May 10, 1941

Yes 90% No 5% No opinion 5%

September 1941

Do you approve or disapprove of having the United States shoot at German submarines or warships on sight?

September 26, 1941

Approve 56% Disapprove 34% No opinion 10%

October 1941

Should the Neutrality Act be changed to permit American merchant ships with American crews to carry war materials to Britain?

October 1, 1941

National Response
Yes 46% No 40% No opinion 14%

Democrats
Yes 51% No 33% No opinion 16%

Republicans
Yes 42% No 48% No opinion 10%

In general, do you approve or disapprove of having the United States Navy shoot at German submarines or warships on sight?

October 3, 1941

Approve 62% Disapprove 28% No opinion 10%

So far as you personally are concerned, do you think President Roosevelt has gone too far in his policies of helping Britain, or not far enough?2

October 8, 1941

Too far 27% About right 57% Not far enough 16%

Footnotes
  1. 1. Nine percent of respondents had no opinion on this question and are excluded from the overall calculation.
  2. 2. Ten percent of respondents had no opinion on this question and are excluded from the overall calculation.
Teacher Programs

Conversation-based seminars for collegial PD, one-day and multi-day seminars, graduate credit seminars (MA degree), online and in-person.

Coming soon! World War I & the 1920s!