ibiblio
Ibiblio: World War Ii Resources: Proclamation of Unlimited National Emergency
View text of Franklin D. Roosevelt's official Proclamation of Unlimited National Emergency in May, 1941, that puts the armed services on notice in case of aggression against any parts of the Western Hemisphere.
University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota Human Rights Library: "The Four Freedoms"
In his pivotal inaugural address in January 1941, FDR readies the nations for what he sees as our inevitable involvement in WWII. Read the full text of this infamous speech to understand the nation's mindset at this point in history.
Mount Holyoke College
International Relations: Relations With Japan 1938 1940
This publication from the U.S. Department of State lays out the attempts the United States made between 1938 and 1940 to influence the behavior of Japan through "moral embargoes" and eventually a complete embargo of all strategic...
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: Fdr: Robert Dallek, Historian
An interview with Robert Hallek who discusses the foreign policy decisions made by Franklin Roosevelt prior to World War II. Read about the commitment Roosevelt made to Winston Churchill to fight against the Nazis in Europe.
Other
Pacific War: Increasing Tensions Between the United States and Japan
A look at actions taken by the United States and Japan that eventually resulted in the attack at Pearl Harbor. Read about the treaties signed by each, the economic embargo against Japan, and the increased militarization of Japan.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Arsenal of Democracy
Although Americans remained isolationist in their thinking, President Roosevelt understood that the European allies needed help against the Germans. Read about the incremental ways America became involved in World War II in Europe...
US Army Center
U.s. Army Center of Military History: Decision to Land u.s. Forces in Iceland
This site from the United States Army provides an essay on the United States' foreign policies during World War II and how it affected the decision to land forces in Iceland in 1941.