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A democratic government is designed to protect the will of the people. At the same time, it is designed to protect the lives and wellbeing of those who live in the said nation. In the early 1940 s, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was faced with the enormous burden of preparing America to join the war, which he felt was inevitable, and to help out his Allied friends until the inevitable event occurred which would allow him to formally declare war on Germany. FDR managed to do this through policies, secret meetings, and a large amount of favoritism.
The U. S. engaged in many policies which directly favored the Allied nations. In September of 1940, the exchange of American destroyers for British bases occurred. This was not only a clear violation of neutrality; it brought forth many moral issues for the people of the US. If we were so neutral and planned on staying so, why would we even need air bases for our military in far-off areas?
There is no logical answer to this question. In January through March of 1941, American and British staffs were secretly holding meetings making plans should the US ever join the war. Very few people knew about these meetings, even Congress was not informed of the talks. In March 1941, FDR passed the Lend-Lease act through Congress. This act gave President Roosevelt almost unlimited freedom in sending supplies, tanks, aircraft, and ammunition to Europe without breaking our neutrality. At the end of lend-lease, we had given over $ 41 billion in aid to over 40 nations.
Of this aid, Britain received $ 30 billion and the Soviets about $ 11 billion. Of all of this aid, less than $ 10 billion was repaid. This seems more of a donation than a loan. On August 9 - 12 in 1941, the Atlantic Conference was held between Roosevelt and Churchill. This solidified the commitment of America in a near declaration of war-aims.
A few months after this, merchant ships sending goods to Britain were armed. Surely a neutral nation should not have to take such drastic action? On July 25, 1941, Japanese assets were frozen in the US. By cutting off one nation of supplies, and allowing another unlimited access, while those nations are on opposite sides of the war, is that not showing favoritism?
The policies shown here are obviously favoring the Allied side. One can most certainly argue that Roosevelt was acting for the better of the whole nation by keeping the dangerous Germany from spreading its influence any further. However, presidential powers discussions aside, what Roosevelt did clearly violated neutrality. Had Roosevelt taken a truly neutral stance, perhaps America would have stayed out of the war until it was truly forced to, when Hitler headed for the US in an attempt for worldwide hegemony. Instead, it can be argued that Roosevelt's actions forced Japan to take the action it did, and caused a great anti-American fervor in Germany as well, which only served as a catalyst for Germany's announcement to declare war on the USA.
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Research essay sample on Lend Lease Declare War
