Example research essay topic: Franklin Delano Roosevelt World War 2 - 1,498 words

NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote

Franklin Roosevelt's achievements towards the Americas economic conditions during his presidential terms Franklin Delano Roosevelt was definitely one of the greatest presidents of the United States of America. Although his greatness is questioned sometimes he was one of the most controversial figures in the American history. He was elected to be the president in the early 1933 and continued to be one for as long as three plus presidential campaigns. Considering at least this fact we may state that he was a pretty successful person in managing the country towards successful position in the world.

One of the things that he was well known for was his political program, which was so necessary during his start up period. That political program concerned the government expenditures cut off, and creating a well justified budget for the country. The United States was in a pretty poor shape in terms of economy during that times, and it desperately needed a good leader with well-stated plans for the future in order not to have the economy collapse. Roosevelt clearly wanted to reduce expenses and balance the budget. His second action in office, commonly referred to as the Economy Act of 1933, represented such an economically conservative movement that Republicans came out in full support of both the legislation and the president. The act, entitled To Maintain the Credit of the United States Government, was intended to dispel the growing fear that the country was headed toward bankruptcy because departmental costs remained high while no relief was being offered to the unemployed and starving.

The act gave the president broad powers to reduce veterans pensions and allowances and reduce salaries for practically every federal officer and employee in an attempt to reduce expenses. (Leuchtenburg 59) Roosevelt was offering a so-called New Deal economy for the country, which was in a great deal of financial crisis during those times. According to this new political discourse, the governmental expenditures were greatly diminished. Roosevelt appointed Douglas, who was one of the prominent economies during the time period, to be the director of the budget of the United States. But was that the correct choice? This is the question that is considered to be rather controversial in the presidential choices done by Franklin Roosevelt as a president.

Douglas came to his post with a strong sense of obligation -- he was certain the United States was in a critical condition, and the only solution to the devastating depression lay in balancing the budget. (Browder and Smith) Roosevelt seemingly agreed with Douglas. Newspapers reported that the young budget director would make his mark in the Roosevelt administration and be at the heart of things. Journalists argued that Roosevelt's appointment was an indication that Roosevelt means business in his promise to reduce government costs. (Leuchtenburg 61) Yet in application, the Economy Act cut severely veterans benefits as compared to government employees salaries, resulting in mass lobbying by veterans organizations for the restoration of their pensions. Despite personally instigating the Economy Act, Roosevelt is rarely associated with its failure; rather, historians have attributed creation of the act almost exclusively to Lewis Douglas. Roosevelt had no doubt that the public had given him a mandate for leadership, leadership that he based on a sense of noblesse oblige, which included helping all needy citizens, not just those who had performed a service for the U.

S. government. Confident in his ability to lead the nation, Roosevelt misjudged the extent of veterans willingness to sacrifice. The notion of the New Deal economy was often questioned as I already stated.

Some historians claim that this was a necessary economic action and that it was successfully implemented, but there are other opinions on the issue. According to John T. Flynn, who was a prospect historian of the time era, the New Deal was a failure, and the President would have paid the political price if not for the advent of war. The amount of public spending available for domestic projects was limited, but Hitlers invasion of Czechoslovakia opened the spigot of government spending on the machinery of war. As the Germans were driving their way across Europe, FDR stormed the last redoubts of constitutional government in America. The New Deal set in place all the features of Big Government with which we are all too familiar: an imperial presidency fit for a Napoleon or a Caligula, and an attendant bureaucracy of federal eunuchs permanently ensconced.

The aim of the New Deal was to establish the fact that there is no power forbidden to the government by the Constitution which it cannot successfully seize. This was Fdr's great achievement- or crime, depending on who sits in judgment. (Flynn 59) Another important fact that was bothering the people during the times when Roosevelt was a president was the situation of a constant threat of war activities, from the side of Japan towards the American territory. Hitler started invading the Europe and he was trying to create allies with some countries, in order to gain the world power dominance. Japan was not satisfied with American politics and they were waiting for a chance to show off their attitude towards America. This was clearly expressed during their invasion at Pearl Harbor, where lots of Americans died and the whole country was in the situation of war. Roosevelt was showing his political and social strengths to the whole American nation.

The government officials and all of the American people came to a conclusion that they desperately need a strong person as their head and Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the best choice for people. They entrusted their future to the abilities of their president. He was actually handicapped during the time period, but he was able to maintain the activities of the country towards success in those ventures that were faced by Americans back than. Roosevelt was making correct decisions that maintained the overall country stability during those scary times of World War 2. He had a meeting with the other two great leaders of the century in Yalta, former Soviet Union.

The other two people that were involved in that historically important meeting were Joseph Stalin, the president of the Soviet Union at that time and Winston Churchill, who was a Great Britain Prime Minister during those times. They were considering the issues of how are they going to act towards Hitlers horrible activities that were blamed upon by the whole world. Hitler was trying to invade Europe and eventually probably the whole world. So the three countries leaders had a difficult time finding solution for the problem. They decided to form the allied power in order to prevent Hitler from his further on invasions. This venture by the three presidents went pretty successfully if not to consider the overall world destructions that were caused by Hitlers stupidity and the support that he had amongst his peers during the time period.

In order to summarize the activities of Franklin Roosevelt we must admit the time period that this was going on at. This was the terrible period of Americas depression, when the necessity of a good leader was as vital as the air for the human to survive. I would say that FDR, as people often call him, did his job pretty well. He helped his country to survive during such a bad period and moreover he led the country out of it. After World War 2 he left the position of the President of the United States, and he left it with honor. There are many opinions concerning his presidential choices but the overall results approved that America made a right choice by electing such a strong and correct leader.

I would say that the most important notion that was brought to America by Roosevelt was the notion of necessary change in the State operations. Many people helped him create this new economical program but he was the overall leader that made the final choices. This notion helped the country to improve the political and economical stability as a consequence. The other greatest thing by FDR was the lead of the nation through war and post war periods.

A handicapped president had such a strong command that people believed in him and supported as well. He proved to the whole nation the fact that a strong president may be the strongest power that may help the country to withstand the difficulties. He lived a pretty long life and people still remember his as one of the greatest American presidents. Bibliography: Leuchtenburg W.

E. , Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1932 - 1940, New York: Viking Press, 1963. Browder R. P.

and Smith T. G. , Independent: A Biography of Lewis W. Douglas, New York: Palm Press, 1986. Flynn J. T. The Roosevelt Myth, Washington: State Publishing Company, 1948.

List D. J. , United States: Bread and Butter Politics, New York: Blitz Print, 2 nd Edition, 1975. Finley W. , Americas Greatest Politics, Birmingham: Hampshire Publishing House, 1979.

Research essay sample on Franklin Delano Roosevelt World War 2