During World War II, millions of people were suffering under really horrible conditions, largely because of the Axis powers. When the United States joined the party in 1941, the Allies were obviously interested in stopping the bad guys on principle—it's just not nice to invade countries without an invitation.
But more than that, World War II became a fight for basic human rights. The U.S. had built an entire government around that same concept, the idea that all people should have access to basic freedoms and protections simply because they were people. When the Axis started running willy-nilly and threatening those basic rights in Europe, it was also an attack on democracy in the U.S., and the country had to respond.
The first step in that response? FDR's "Great Arsenal of Democracy" speech.
Questions About Democracy
- How does FDR illustrate the importance of democracy throughout his speech?
- In sentence 14, FDR quoted Adolf Hitler, who said, "There are two worlds that stand opposed to each other." What did Hitler mean? Why did FDR choose to use this quote?
- Why are industry and democracy so intertwined throughout this speech?
Chew on This
As the largest democracy in the world, the United States had a duty to be actively involved in stopping the spread of dictatorships throughout Europe.
The biggest conflict between the Allies and the Axis during World War II was their different political systems—democratic verses dictatorship.