How we cite our quotes: (Sentence)
Quote #1
For on September 27th, 1940—this year—by an agreement signed in Berlin, three powerful nations, two in Europe and one in Asia, joined themselves together in the threat that if the United States of America interfered with or blocked the expansion program of these three nations—a program aimed at world control—they would unite in ultimate action against the United States. (12)
Check out the Timeline for more information on the Tripartite Pact, signed by Germany, Italy and Japan three months before FDR gave this speech. It was an agreement that created the Axis powers, and promised to attack "anyone" who tried to interfere with their plans for world domination—and by "anyone," they meant the United States.
Quote #2
We should enter upon a new and terrible era in which the whole world, our hemisphere included, would be run by threats of brute force. And to survive in such a world, we would have to convert ourselves permanently into a militaristic power on the basis of war economy. (35-36)
While FDR wasn't trying to get the American people to agree to deploy soldiers overseas, he was hoping they'd see how important it was to do whatever necessary to help the Allies, and to do it quickly. If the Axis gained too much power, or if Britain ever fell to Germany, the rest of the world would go straight to hell in a hand basket.
Quote #3
The American appeasers ignore the warning to be found in the fate of Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Norway, Belgium, the Netherland, Denmark, and France. (96)
Adolf Hitler invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939, so in a little bit more than one year, all these countries fell victim to Nazi Germany. There's no reasoning with a country that's willing to roll in with guns blazing and oppress entire populations of people, and FDR wasn't going to let Americans ignore how bad things were.