Roosevelt's Restriction Of The Neutrality Acts example essay topic

Franklin D. Roosevelt's foreign policy between 1939 and 1941 had as its main objective the bringing of the United States into war allied with Great Britain. The mood of the American people had changed, in June 1940, 75% of Americans stated they wanted to do more to help Great Britain that suffered from German air raids. We must first look at result of President Roosevelt's restriction of the Neutrality Acts; secondly, view how President Roosevelt strategically used Pearl Harbor to bring American into World War II; and lastly, analyze Roosevelt's third presidential term victory. As the United States was being transformed into "the great arsenal of democracy", and enjoyed economic growth again, it had to be ensured, that nations that where in need for the relief this arsenal promised would have access to the U.S. weapons. In 1939, President Roosevelt had the Neutrality Acts partially restricted.

Under the new provisions, short-term loans could be granted to belligerents and weapons and ammunition could be purchased on a "cash and carry basis". In the "destroyers for bases" deal; Britain was able to stock up its armed forces. In return for fifty World War I destroyers, it would exchange naval bases in the Caribbean and on the Pacific Coast to the Americans. Roosevelt then came up with the "Lend-Lease" Act. To avoid an accumulation of war debts on Britain, the weapons and other material needed by Great Britain were leased and were to be returned after a conclusion of the war. In contrast to Woodrow Wilson, who had pursued actual neutrality until the end, Roosevelt steered firmly and constantly towards war since late 1939.

After Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt received overwhelming support when he asked Congress for a declaration of war against Japan. On November 25, 1941, President Roosevelt met with Secretary of Sate Hull, Navy Secretary Frank Knox, and Secretary of War Henry Stimson, General Marshall and Admiral Stark. The question was how we should maneuver the Japanese into the position of firing the first shot. President Roosevelt observed that the Japanese had launched surprise attacks at the outset of previous wars and that the U.S. might be under attack by the following Monday. Stimson wrote in his diary, "In spite of the risk involved, however, in letting the Japanese fire the first shot, we realized that in order to have the full support of the American people it was desirable to make sure that the Japanese were the ones to do this so that there should remain no doubt in anyone's mind as to who were the aggressors".

The attack solved President Franklin D. Roosevelt's most pressing problem: how to overcome the American public's opposition to involvement in the war that had been going on in Europe. The mood of the American people had changed, in June 1940, where most Americans stated they wanted to do more to help Great Britain that suffered from German air raids. Isolationist sentiments were still strong in the farming areas of the Midwest and in places where Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans or German-Americans represented influential ethnic minorities. Thus Roosevelt had to remain undercover with his plans to come to the help of Great Britain, if he wanted to avoid discussion on this sensitive topic in the campaign and if he desired to win a third term. Yet, he did talk of the difference between correct and false neutrality. The former prevented war and secured peace, whereas the latter existed when war has already broken out and endangered the stability, order and democracy of the nation.

Roosevelt won his third term election by hiding his plans to assist the Great Britains to gain the votes of the minorities. We first looked at result of President Roosevelt's restriction of the Neutrality Acts; secondly, viewed how President Roosevelt strategically used Pearl Harbor to bring American into World War II; and lastly, analyzed Roosevelt's third presidential term victory. Despite the sacrifices from this war, the world will be menaced by the threat of nuclear warfare between the United States and Russia.