Throughout his presidency, Franklin Roosevelt placed American interests above all else, acting in a pragmatic manner according to the domestic situation in the United States and the situation overseas. Roosevelt worked to ensure that publicly he acted in accordance with the views of the majority of Americans, in order to maintain support on highly-debated issues that would allow him to make more controversial decisions behind closed doors. Then, once popular support for such issues arose, he could allow his decisions to become more public. Ultimately, Roosevelt acted in accordance to his own views internally, but his public opinions, and thus America’s official involvement in World War II, were shaped by appealing to the American public.
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First, it is important to understand how Roosevelt’s political and personal background affected his perspective and decisions. Roosevelt had an upbringing with a Christian emphasis in a privileged atmosphere. This was particularly relevant during his years at the Groton School, where his headmaster preached about the duties of Christians to help the poor. However, being from a very rich family, Roosevelt did not understand the exact needs of the poor in a way that President Hoover could. Roosevelt’s sense of political altruism was reinforced by Wilsonian ideals, as it was under Wilson that Roosevelt received his first big political positions. Kennan notes that Wilson, seeing himself and his ideas as superior, used morality to justify the war, and this greatly influenced Roosevelt, perhaps affecting to an extent how he dealt with World War II. However, unlike Wilson, Roosevelt was not an idealist. Instead, Roosevelt also became influenced by realpolitik, believing that he could advance his universal goals as well as the interests of the United States through a process of pragmatic bargaining. During the 1932 Presidential Election, Hoover referred to Roosevelt a “chameleon in plaid.” This fundamentally describes Roosevelt as a politician, as Roosevelt put on whatever persona best suited him at the time, even if none of them where real. Roosevelt’s method of politics explains the apparent evolution of his stance on World War
First, it is important to understand how Roosevelt’s political and personal background affected his perspective and decisions. Roosevelt had an upbringing with a Christian emphasis in a privileged atmosphere. This was particularly relevant during his years at the Groton School, where his headmaster preached about the duties of Christians to help the poor. However, being from a very rich family, Roosevelt did not understand the exact needs of the poor in a way that President Hoover could. Roosevelt’s sense of political altruism was reinforced by Wilsonian ideals, as it was under Wilson that Roosevelt received his first big political positions. Kennan notes that Wilson, seeing himself and his ideas as superior, used morality to justify the war, and this greatly influenced Roosevelt, perhaps affecting to an extent how he dealt with World War II. However, unlike Wilson, Roosevelt was not an idealist. Instead, Roosevelt also became influenced by realpolitik, believing that he could advance his universal goals as well as the interests of the United States through a process of pragmatic bargaining. During the 1932 Presidential Election, Hoover referred to Roosevelt a “chameleon in plaid.” This fundamentally describes Roosevelt as a politician, as Roosevelt put on whatever persona best suited him at the time, even if none of them where real. Roosevelt’s method of politics explains the apparent evolution of his stance on World War