The Second World War

The term first World War appeared haphazardly in 1939 after Hitler, but it didn't become part of common currency until two things happened. Russia was invaded by Hitler on June 22nd, and we were bombed by Pearl Harbor. By the time of Pearl Harbor everybody was using the term second World War, World War II; no one was calling World War I the great war. In both cases the United States didn't get in the war because Woodrow Wilson's radical change of heart that he was going to save the world for democracy.