Franklin Roosevelt in World War Two
President Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) served as President of the United States from 1933-1945. As president, FDR led the United States through the Great Depression and World War Two. After Pearl Harbor, FDR did not have to worry about dealing with an isolationist Congress anymore. Americans were now primed for war. On Dec 8, 1941, FDR addressed Congress and requested a state of war be declared between the United States and the Empire of Japan. Congress overwhelmingly approved. The U.S. was now in World War Two.
Pres. Roosevelt addresses Congress the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
President Roosevelt - Significant Actions during World War Two
Dec 1941: Orders military to find a way to strike at the heart of Japan after Pearl Harbor (Will become the Doolittle Raid; raid takes place in April 1942)
Oct 1941: FDR authorizes research and development of an atomic weapon (will eventually become the Manhattan Project)
Jan 1942: FDR created the War Labor Board-responsible for maintaining the flow of war materials through the arbitration of labor disputes
Jan 1942: FDR orders all aliens to be registered with the federal government
Feb 1942: FDR signs Executive Order 9066 - Internment of Japanese-Americans
May 1942: FDR signs act establishing the Women's Army Corps (WACs) and the WAVES (Navy). Women play a vital role in the war effort by filling non-combatant positions and freeing up men for combat roles.
May 1943: FDR establishes the Office of War Mobilization to coordinate the nation's efforts at home, and he orders that all government contracts with private industries forbid racial discrimination.
Nov 1943: FDR meets with Churchill and Stalin at the Tehran Conference in Iran. They decided on the Allied invasion into Europe to open a second European front, and Stalin agreed to launch a major offensive on Eastern front at the same time. Stalin pledged that Russia would join the fight against Japan once the war against Germany was completed.
Dec 1943: FDR announces that Gen. Dwight Eisenhower will be Supreme Allied Commander of Allied Forces in Europe.
June 1944: FDR signs the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, which provides financial aid to veterans for education, housing, and other needs; it will be widely known as the G. I. Bill of Rights.
Nov 1944: FDR is elected President for a fourth term.
Feb 1945: FDR, Churchill, and Stalin meet to discuss the final assault on Germany and the treatment of that country following the war. They sign a “Declaration on Liberated Europe,” discuss the providing for democratic governance of European nations, and agree to meet in San Francisco that April to establish an international peace organization (United Nations).
April 12, 1945: While vacationing in Warm Springs, Georgia, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies following a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Vice President Harry S. Truman is immediately sworn in, becoming the thirty-third President of the United States.
Oct 1941: FDR authorizes research and development of an atomic weapon (will eventually become the Manhattan Project)
Jan 1942: FDR created the War Labor Board-responsible for maintaining the flow of war materials through the arbitration of labor disputes
Jan 1942: FDR orders all aliens to be registered with the federal government
Feb 1942: FDR signs Executive Order 9066 - Internment of Japanese-Americans
May 1942: FDR signs act establishing the Women's Army Corps (WACs) and the WAVES (Navy). Women play a vital role in the war effort by filling non-combatant positions and freeing up men for combat roles.
May 1943: FDR establishes the Office of War Mobilization to coordinate the nation's efforts at home, and he orders that all government contracts with private industries forbid racial discrimination.
Nov 1943: FDR meets with Churchill and Stalin at the Tehran Conference in Iran. They decided on the Allied invasion into Europe to open a second European front, and Stalin agreed to launch a major offensive on Eastern front at the same time. Stalin pledged that Russia would join the fight against Japan once the war against Germany was completed.
Dec 1943: FDR announces that Gen. Dwight Eisenhower will be Supreme Allied Commander of Allied Forces in Europe.
June 1944: FDR signs the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, which provides financial aid to veterans for education, housing, and other needs; it will be widely known as the G. I. Bill of Rights.
Nov 1944: FDR is elected President for a fourth term.
Feb 1945: FDR, Churchill, and Stalin meet to discuss the final assault on Germany and the treatment of that country following the war. They sign a “Declaration on Liberated Europe,” discuss the providing for democratic governance of European nations, and agree to meet in San Francisco that April to establish an international peace organization (United Nations).
April 12, 1945: While vacationing in Warm Springs, Georgia, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies following a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Vice President Harry S. Truman is immediately sworn in, becoming the thirty-third President of the United States.