Blog #36: FDR's Declaration of War

FDR begins his Declaration by stating that December 7, 1941, is "a date which will live in infamy" (a phrase that has become a familiar part of our WWII lexicon). He then went on to state that before the attack, the United States had been considering terms of peace with Japan, and there had been no hints of war. Even when Japan replied to an American message by saying that their diplomatic relations should not be continued, there was no suggestion of violence in the slightest. Nevertheless, Japan had gone out of its way to deceive the United States. It did so by expressing hope for continued peace only to keep America away from its true intentions. The very distance from Hawaii to Japan indicates that Japan had been planning to attack Pearl Harbor for quite a while. FDR then listed other nations that Japan attacked on that same day, and stated that many Americans understood that their nation was in danger and needed to be protected. FDR said that not only would all measures be taken to defend the United States, but it would be made certain that a similar act of violence would never happen again. Finally, he asked Congress to declare that since Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, a state of war had existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

There was one person who voted against the war in both houses. This was a woman named Jeanette Rankin. As a result, people accused her of supporting the Japanese, and her nickname became "Japanette Rankin."

FDR delivers his Declaration of War on December 8, 1941.

Jeanette Rankin voted against the war, and as a result, she became known as "Japanette" Rankin.

Although I am sure many people have this same synthesis, it is difficult not to see the similarities between the Declaration of War on Japan in 1941 and the Declaration of War on Germany in 1917. FDR declared war on Japan in response to its unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor. Similarly, Germany's violation of America's neutrality during the Great War (attacks on U.S. ships, Zimmerman Telegram) were unprovoked, and led President Wilson to take action against such a threat.