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.
Quote #4
In a military sense, Great Britain and the British Empire are today the spearhead of resistance to world conquest. And they are putting up a fight which will live forever in the story of human gallantry. (125-126)
FDR believed the Allies would win the war, and history would celebrate Great Britain and other countries who'd given their all to defeat the bad guys. They were fighting for the freedom of literally the entire world.
Quote #5
For us this is an emergency as serious as war itself. We must apply ourselves to our task with the same resolution, the same sense of urgency, the same spirit of patriotism and sacrifice as we would show were we at war. (174-175)
Here's the thing FDR wasn't ready to say to the American people quite yet: as far as he was concerned, it wasn't a matter of if the U.S. would go to war, but when. FDR wanted to inspire the patriotism and spirit of service that Americans are known for in times of conflict, so that when the day finally came when there did need to be boots on the ground in Europe, the U.S. would be ready.