Jacob Kopek
3/8/21
HIST1299
Research Paper
The head of the Executive branch, the President of the United States, is, for all intents
and purposes, in charge of the nation. Though his/her power is not absolute, the individual does
possess a series of responsibilities mandated by United Sates Constitution. For instance, the
President is Commander in Chief of the United Sates military, charged with protecting the nation
as a whole. The President, and Commander in Chief during the Second World War was none
other than Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Widely regarded as one of the greatest United States
Presidents, he managed to lead the country during one of the darkest times in world history.
Roosevelt led the United States out of the infamous Great Depression in order to confront and
eventually triumph over the daunting Axis powers of Japan, Germany, and Italy. His leadership
during the war undoubtably played a major role in ensuring a victory for the Allied powers.
At the time of Roosevelt’s inauguration, the United States was amidst the worst economic
depression in world history. Taking office in 1933, the Great Depression had begun four years
earlier. In the decade prior, the nation had seen some of its best years. The economy was
booming, spirits were high, and all seemed well. This period was known as the “Roaring
Twenties.” Stock prices surged as the economy became more and more optimal, so much so, that
the stock prices far surpassed their actual value. On October 24th, 1929, anxious investors began
selling their overpriced stocks, which caused the market to crash. This day is known as “Black
Thursday.” In the ensuing days, more stocks would be sold, adding fuel to the fire. The
American citizens lost their jobs, their belongings, and by 1930 they had lost faith in their banks
as well. They demanded cash deposits from banks that did not have the liquid funds necessary to
fulfill their requests, and by 1933 thousands of banks had shut their doors. There seemed to be no
way out for the United States, (History.com Editors 1).
President Roosevelt understood that, especially at this juncture in the nation’s history,
and world history for that matter, what America needed was a strong leader in the White House.
As a result, he hid his polio and eventual leg paralysis from the citizens, as those disabilities
would make him unfit to run the country. He used a series of mobility equipment throughout his
diplomatic career to hide his disease. However, because of this Roosevelt was dependent upon
technology and others to portray an image of strength, which allowed him to understand that
dependency was not a sign of weakness. Instead, interdependency throughout the country as a
whole could only strengthen the nation, which was the basis for the ideas instilled in his New
Deal, which sought to support an economically disabled America, (Nielsen 1, 3).
World War II truly started in 1939. However, it remained a European issue for two full
years before it made its way into the western hemisphere. Following World War I, the United
Sates did not enter the League of Nations, as Woodrow Wilson could not obtain Congressional
support. The American people were far too swept up in the Red Scare and other intranational
issues. As a result, the nation fell back into isolationism. Then, during the 1920s, industry
boomed, resulting in a high standard of living in the United States. The American citizens
enjoying these living standards were not huge fans of war. In fact, the Kellogg-Briand Pact of
1928 all but outlawed war. Years later, the Neutrality Act of 1935 lessened the now President,
Franklin Roosevelt’s control over foreign policy. It seemed Isolationism would prevail.
Roosevelt and the United States could do little to help Britain and the Soviet Union overseas, nor
did they have interest in doing so. Yet still, Roosevelt, limited by the country’s isolationist
policies, tried to advocate for peace as tensions mounted overseas. On October 5th, 1937, he
delivered the “Quarantine Speech,” which called for a quarantine of any nations making
aggressive advances. He touched on topics such as “international lawlessness,” a reign of terror,
and that current conditions may very well threaten “the foundations of civilization.” Roosevelt
went a bit further, trying to involve the United States, even in minor capacity, with the Welles
Plan and the Nine Powers Conference. The Welles Plan, which sought to more easily condemn
international aggressors, was deemed “illogical and impossible.” This left only the Nine Powers
Conference, which Roosevelt hoped would further United States intervention, but it fizzled out
and the country remained isolated (Wilson 1).
In 1938, Hitler annexed Austria into Greater Germany, extending his frontier to Italy, a
nation whose leader, Benito Mussolini, formed a growing relationship with Hitler. In response,
Roosevelt tried to re-enact the Welles Plan, which failed again several times. In 1939, Roosevelt
tried to have the Neutrality Legislation repealed, but was denied. Later that year, it was clear
Germany was gearing up to invade Poland, and action needed to be taken. On September 21st,
1939, Roosevelt made his first war speech to Congress. In his speech, he agreed to keep America
out of the war, but demanded Congress to repeal the Embargo on Arms and Munitions, as well as
reinstate the Cash-and-Carry system. In 1941, Roosevelt made some advances past isolationist
policies. He introduced the Lend-Lease-Act. This act allowed the President to “sell, transfer,
exchange, lease, lend, under such terms as he thought suitable, supplies of munitions, food,
weapons and other defense articles to any nation whose defense he deemed vital to the defense of
the United States,” (Wilson 1). After two long months of debate with Congress, the act was
passed. Then, in the summer of 1941, the United States cut off all exported supplies to Japan. In
August, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of England, announced the
Atlantic Charter. This laid out a post-war plan for peace, once the Nazis were defeated. It called
for sovereignty, self-determination, and freedom of trade and the seas. They hoped these
components would promote world security. It also served as a warning to Japan and any further
advances they made. Japan continued to expand their forces, ignoring attempts for appeasement,
and on December 7th, 1941, the world would change forever, (Wilson 1).
As President Roosevelt put it, it was “a date which will live in infamy.” In the early hours
of that December morning, Japanese fighter planes filled the sky over Pearl Harbor, a naval base
in Hawaii. Unbeknownst to those stationed there, the planes would soon rain fire on the base,
damaging or destroying almost twenty America ships and upward of three hundred airplanes.
Above all, the United States lost 2,403 men that day, another 1,000 wounded. Most certainly a
