Proof Roosevelt conspired to drag US into WW2.

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jesse23464
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Proof Roosevelt conspired to drag US into WW2.

#1

Post by jesse23464 » 22 Jan 2003, 00:45

I have recently read a book called The New Dealer's War. The book talks about how Roosevelt conspired to get the US into war. Although I disagreed with some of I was surprised a special plan made by Roosevelt called "Rainbow 5". According to the book on December 4, 1941 3 days before the Pearl harbor attack the Chicago Tribune published the details of the plan. The plan said the US would create a 10 million man army with half to be sent to europe and envisoned the US fighting against Japan and Germany beginning in 1943. The plan was authentic and it turns out someone leaked the plan to the press. Various isolationist groups got very angry and began speaking even more against Roosevelt. But after Pearl harbor and Germany's subsequent declaration of war the movement practically dissolved and the plan was rendered useless. Still I think this shows really was planning for US entry into the war.

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Mike K.
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#2

Post by Mike K. » 22 Jan 2003, 01:33

America had been unilaterally supporting Britain for years, so providing a contingency plan in the event of war with the Axis isn't that shocking of a revelation.


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D. Advocate Esq.
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#3

Post by D. Advocate Esq. » 22 Jan 2003, 13:34

In addition, there is nothing to say that it would have been put into action. The British were pushing for involvement, and this type of thing could easily have been a stunt to placate them. In the meantime, America could continue making a fortune from the Lend-Lease Scheme, happily speeding recovery from the Depression and bringing FDR more political support..

You only have to look at the number of Tony Blair's pre-election promises that have been tactically forgotten to see how this tactic is used today!

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Takao
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Little or no proof.

#4

Post by Takao » 22 Jan 2003, 16:54

There is little or no proof of war offered by the Rainbow plans. These plans had been in existance for some time and were continually modified, one of the colors included eventualities for a war with Britain.

The US powers that be realized the US had fallen far behind the rest of the world in terms of military power. Germany and Japan had been preparing for war since the early 1930's. The US did not start rebuilding her miltary force until 1938-39. At this time large orders were placed for naval warships, airplanes, etc.

One could argue that the US had seen that the rest of the world was headed for war and was just rearming for her own protection.

For proof, you will need to offer much more information than you have.

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Tim Smith
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#5

Post by Tim Smith » 23 Jan 2003, 13:11

Roosevelt was determined, from late 1940 onwards, to bring the US into the war against Nazi Germany, but only 'when the time was right'. First the US had to rearm, and second the majority of the US people had to be won over in favour of war.

Roosevelt was a politician first and foremost, and would not take any decision that would be deeply unpopular with the American people and would be likely to lose him the next election. He wanted to bring the US into the war, but most of all he wanted to stay President!

So he adopted a step-by-step process, first selling arms to Britain, then Lend-Lease, then the US naval security zone, then the occupation of Greenland and Iceland, then the involvement of US destroyers in the Battle of the Atlantic. US destroyers began attacking U-boats in the western Atlantic in late 1941. But when a U-boat sank an American destroyer in response, Roosevelt used this to stir up the American people against Germany.

However, Roosevelt DIDN'T want war with Japan at the same time! He wanted to defeat Germany, which he saw as by far the greater threat, and once that was done Japan could be contained, hopefully without war, but if not, by that time (1944) the US military would be far stronger than Japan's.

So there is no way that Roosevelt conspired deliberately to cause Pearl Harbor - that is a fallacy. He stood up to the Japanese, and was determined to make them withdraw from Indo-China and also China proper, but he wanted to do this by economic and political pressure, not by war. He didn't understand the Japanese, didn't realise that he had pushed them too far, and was as surprised by Pearl Harbor as everyone else.

The US did consider the possibility of an attack on Pearl Harbor before it happened, but it was only one option out of several the Japanese had available. An attack on the Phillippines seemed most likely at the time.

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#6

Post by Caldric » 23 Jan 2003, 20:59

I do not think it is a great secret that FDR wanted to help the allies in the war, why we need some half baked book to state that I do not know.

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