Arsenal of democracy speech
The "Arsenal of Democracy" speech, delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during a critical period of World War II, emphasized the United States' responsibility to support nations threatened by Axis powers, particularly Nazi Germany, which had dominated much of Europe. In his address, Roosevelt utilized a relatable analogy about lending assistance to a neighbor in need, advocating for increased U.S. defense production and military support to allied countries. He coined the term "arsenal of democracy" to articulate the essential role the U.S. should play in the conflict, suggesting that aiding allies was a safer choice than maintaining isolation or engaging in full-scale war.
This speech was pivotal in shaping public sentiment and garnered support for the Lend-Lease Act, which facilitated military aid to countries fighting against Axis forces. Following the speech and its successful advocacy, the Lend-Lease Act was enacted on March 11, 1941. In the months leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, U.S. military actions increasingly shifted from neutrality toward active involvement in World War II, marking a significant turning point in American foreign policy. The speech, alongside Roosevelt's subsequent "Four Freedoms" address, played a crucial role in mobilizing both government and public support for a more engaged approach in the global conflict.
Arsenal of democracy speech
The Event Address by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the urgency of providing munitions of war to nations threatened by Axis aggression during World War II
Date Delivered on December 29, 1940
This fireside chat was an important step in securing the support of the American public for the Lend-Lease Act, which supplied much-needed material to Allied nations, in particular Great Britain and the Soviet Union.
The “Arsenal of Democracy” speech was delivered at a time when Nazi Germany had conquered much of Europe. In his radio address, President Franklin D. Roosevelt directly told the American public about the importance of rendering U.S. assistance to those countries threatened by Axis aggression. In a press conference held twelve days before the speech, he had applied a folksy analogy to the international situation, rhetorically asking reporters if they would not lend a garden hose to a neighbor whose house was on fire. In this speech, Roosevelt introduced the more elegant term “arsenal of democracy” to describe the role the United States should play in the war. Looking ahead to the impending legislative battle over the Lend-Lease Act, Roosevelt argued that dramatically increasing U.S. defense production and lending military armaments to the countries threatened by Axis aggression would be a less risky alternative for the United States than either isolation or full-scale belligerency.
Impact
In tandem with the “Four Freedoms” speech given a week later, the “Arsenal of Democracy” speech rallied public opinion behind the Lend-Lease Act, which was subsequently passed into law on March 11, 1941. To protect convoys carrying Lend-Lease aid to Britain and the Soviet Union, the United States then embarked on a series of military moves that veered increasingly away from neutrality and toward substantial U.S. involvement in World War II during the months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December, 1941.
Bibliography
Davis, Kenneth S. FDR: The War President, 1940-1943—A History. New York: Random House, 2000.
Podell, Janet, and Steven Anzovin, eds. Speeches of the American Presidents. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1988.
Smith, Jean Edward. FDR. New York: Random House, 2007.