As the war continued, it became difficult for President Roosevelt to stay neutral, as more Americans were calling for the country to get involved in the conflict. The United States had already been supplying Great Britain with military aid since 1939, but now that aid was becoming even more important.
In 1940, FDR tried to convince Congress to pass a bill authorizing him to send military aid directly to Great Britain. Congress refused. But by 1941, things were changing rapidly. In November of that year, Hitler invaded Russia, and suddenly U.S.-Soviet relations improved dramatically (the two countries had been at odds since 1917). This meant that Germany would soon have two fronts instead of one — and Hitler might not prevail after all! Roosevelt decided it was time for the U.S. government to take action in Europe.
In 1940, Roosevelt authorized the Lend-Lease program. It was a way for America to help Britain without directly entering into the conflict. Later that year, Roosevelt delivered an address in which he outlined four ” freedoms” that he said all people deserved. But by 1941, it was clear that these freedoms would not be realized unless America got involved in World War II.
On December 7th, 1941 — three days after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor — FDR announced that he was freezing all Japanese assets in America and cutting off all trade with Japan. He also said that America would help Great Britain in any way possible during this time of war.
