Franklin D. Roosevelt's Presidency

Franklin D. Roosevelt's Presidency book cover — Table of Contents Introduction 6 Chapter One The Making of a President 10 Chapter Two Act Now for Reform 22 Chapter Three Back to Work for Relief 32 Chapter Four Cooperate for Recovery 44 Chapter Five Tides of War 54 Chapter Six Fight for Freedom 64 Chapter Seven Winning Peace 74 Chapter Eight Legacy 82 Timeline 91 Source Notes 92 Glossary 96 Selected Bibliography 98 Further Information 99 Index 101

Franklin D. Roosevelt's Presidency — page 1 — Introduction On December 6 1941 a young naval officer entered the White House Oval Office and handed a secret message to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt US codebreakers had intercepted and decoded a communication sent from Japan to the Japanese ambassador in Washington DC The message said that the Japanese government had rejected President Roosevelt’s demand that Japan give up territory it had recently seized in China and Southeast Asia Roosevelt believed Japan’s leaders would do more than simply ignore his request Japan would likely attack the United States pulling the country into the war that was already raging in Europe and Asia Harry Hopkins the president’s closest adviser said it was a shame that the Japanese could pick their own time and place to attack the United States Why couldn’t America strike the first blow We can’t do that Roosevelt answered We are a democracy and a peaceful people Roosevelt knew that a preemptive strike against Japan would be hugely unpopular with the American people The president had warned his country about the growing threat from Germany and Japan Yet after the horrors of World War I 1914 1918 few Americans wanted to get involved in another conflict Many thought the broad expanses of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans would protect the United States from the distant fighting The next morning December 7 1941 the Americans intercepted another note to the Japanese ambassador His government instructed him to break off negotiations with the 6

Franklin D. Roosevelt's Presidency — page 2 — United States at one o’clock in the afternoon The precise timing was odd The president thought this meant the Japanese planned to strike perhaps at Thailand British Malaya present-day Malaysia or American territory in the Philippines Japan Attacks Japan had another target in mind Roosevelt had just finished lunch when the phone in the Oval Office rang The Navy Department had a report that the US naval base at Pearl Harbor Hawaii was under attack Harry Hopkins thought it must be a mistake The Japanese wouldn’t attack Hawaii he said It was too far from Japan and too well defended But the president realized the report was probably true The Japanese had chosen to strike where they were least expected American sailors watch smoke rise from Hickam Field during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7 1941 7

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