ABSTRACT
In 1939, much of the world was at war. Adolf Hitler’s forces were about to occupy all of Europe, and Japan had occupied part of China and was at war with the Soviet Union. Although Germany was sinking U.S. freighters along the eastern coast of the United States, there was a preponderance of isolationists preventing the U.S. Congress from declaring war on any country. The feeling was that World War I was “the war to end all wars,” and this war had nothing to do with the USA. Franklin Roosevelt, the president, did not agree, but since he did not have authority to declare war, he used other methods to oppose the isolationists and help the Allies. In 1939, the Allies were Great Britain, France, and Poland. By the time Roosevelt had taken action, France and Poland were occupied by Germany, and the Allies consisted of the British Commonwealth. It was at the end of 1940 that Roosevelt had come up with a plan to arm and support the Allies. In a radio broadcast, he referred to this as “The Arsenal of Democracy.” America would supply armaments to the Allies, but would stay out of the actual fighting.
