Arsenal of Democracy
During the Second World War, "Arsenal of Democracy" was the slogan used by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in a radio broadcast delivered on 29 December 1940. Roosevelt promised to help the United Kingdom fight Nazi Germany by giving them military supplies while t…
Full Answer
How did the USA become an arsenal of democracy?
How did the USA become a arsenal of democracy?
- They stereotyped the italian evil characters, German, and the japanese as enemy.
- they used the selective service act to get more soldiers.
- Rosie the Riverter.
What was the idea of us an arsenal democracy?
Arsenal of Democracy. In December 1940, with Great Britain running out of money to pay for arms purchases. President Roosevelt suggested the idea of lending arms to England. The United States became the Arsenal of Democracy. The Neutrality Law was amended to allow the purchase of weapons by Great Britain (and other countries at war).
What was the great arsenal of democracy?
Shout-Outs
- In-Text References
- Historical and Political References
- Geographical References
- References to This Text
- Literary and Philosophical References. The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm America at War. ...
- Historical and Political References. Robinson, Charles K. Time Magazine. 13 October 1961. ...
Who was the great arsenal of democracy?
Product details
- Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; First Edition (June 3, 2014)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 384 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0547719280
- ISBN-13 : 978-0547719283
- Item Weight : 1.35 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1.42 x 9 inches
What did arsenal of democracy mean?
"Arsenal of democracy" refers to the collective efforts of American industry in supporting the Allies, which efforts tended to be concentrated in the established industrial centers of the U.S., such as Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh, and other places.
Why was the United States called the arsenal of democracy?
President Roosevelt hoped the United States would be the arsenal of democracy because it would supply so many goods and weapons to its allies.
When was the arsenal of democracy?
29 December 1940"Arsenal of Democracy" Speech, Franklin Roosevelt, 29 December 1940.
What did FDR mean when he described the US as the arsenal of democracy describe the wartime economy in the US?
Arsenal of Democracy was a phrase used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) to describe the United States as he tried to arouse popular support for sending military aid to nations fighting against the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan, among others) during World War II (1939–1942).
How did the US become the arsenal of democracy quizlet?
Roosevelt referred to Detroit, Michigan as "the great arsenal of democracy" because of the rapid conversion of much of the Detroit-area automotive industry to produce armaments during World War II.
What is the full meaning of arsenal?
Definition of arsenal 1a : an establishment for the manufacture or storage of arms and military equipment The city is home to a federal arsenal. b : a collection of weapons. 2 : store, repertoire the team's arsenal of veteran players.
What is the Arsenal of Democracy?
For the video game, see Arsenal of Democracy (video game). U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressing the nation. During the Second World War (1939–1945), " Arsenal of Democracy " was the slogan used by U.S . President Franklin D. Roose velt, in a radio broadcast delivered on 29 December ...
What was the impact of the Arsenal of Democracy speech?
Impact. The Arsenal of Democracy exhibit at the Michigan History Museum. The speech reflected the American approach to entry into World War II. It marked the decline of the isolationist and non-interventionist doctrine that had dominated interwar U.S. foreign policy since the United States' involvement in World War I.
What was Roosevelt's call to arms?
Roosevelt's address was "a call to arm and support" the Allies in Europe, and, to a lesser extent, arm and support the Republic of China, in total war against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. "The great arsenal of democracy" came to specifically refer to the industry of the U.S., as the primary supplier of material for the Allied war effort.
Who said America is an arsenal?
The concept of America as an actual arsenal came from the American playwright Robert Emmet Sherwood, who was quoted in the May 12, 1940 New York Times as saying "this country is already, in effect, an arsenal for the democratic Allies.".
What was the only solution to the war?
The only solution was to assist Britain ("the spearhead of resistance to world conquest") while it was still possible. While not explicitly pledging to stay out of the war, he stated that "our national policy is not directed toward war," and argued that helping Britain now would save Americans from having to fight.
What city was the Arsenal of Democracy?
It is generally agreed that no American city contributed more to the Allied powers during World War II than Detroit. Appropriately, Detroit grew to be known as "The Arsenal of Democracy," a term coined by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during one of his Fireside Chat radio broadcasts. In the speech, delivered on December 29, 1940, ...
Why was Detroit the ideal city for the war?
Finally, Roosevelt reminded the American people that they had both the responsibility and the means to turn the tide of the war. Because of its strength as a manufacturing capital, Detroit was an ideal city to take on the challenge set by the President.
What was the significance of the wartime conversion of Detroit and the region’s multiple industries?
The wartime conversion of Detroit and the region’s multiple industries solidified the city’s status as the “Arsenal of Democracy.”. Walter Reuther of the UAW is quoted as saying, "Like England's battles were won on the playing fields of Eton, America's were won on the assembly lines of Detroit.”.
What was the name of the speech that the Allies turned to the United States for assistance?
In the speech, delivered on December 29, 1940, Roosevelt made a “call to arm and support ” the Allied powers, including Britain. The Allies turned to the United States for assistance in the form of weapons, planes, trucks, ships and tanks.
Why did corporate officers become high-ranking Army officers?
Many corporate officers became high-ranking Army officers in order to skirt bureaucratic red tape. In all, Detroit firms, with facilities across the country, produced 25 percent of everything used by our allies. The social landscape of the city changed greatly during the war.
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Who said "arsenal of democracy"?
Arsenal of Democracy was a phrase used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) to describe the United States as he tried to arouse popular support for sending military aid to nations fighting against the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan, among others) during World War II (1939–1942).
What were Norman Rockwell's freedoms?
The four freedoms he outlined were freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. As America became engaged in World War II, painter Norman Rockwell did a series of paintings illustrating the four freedoms as international war goals that went beyond just defeating the Axis powers.
Why did Randolph call for a march?
Randolph, who was already fed up with ongoing discrimination in the military, called for an enormous march in Washington, DC, to protest inequality in the military and defense industries. Just days before the march was to take place, President Roosevelt met with Randolph and other African American leaders to negotiate.
Was the German American Bund a pro Nazi organization?
Article. American Nazism and Madison Square Garden. Before World War II, the German-American Bund was one of the most successful pro-Nazi organizations in the United States.
Did defense contractors hire African Americans?
Half of the defense contractors who responded to one prewar survey by the US Employment Service said they would not hire African Americans for any job. This infuriated A. Philip Randolph, founder and leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, one of the nation’s largest African American labor unions.
What is the second freedom?
The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way — everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want, which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants — everywhere in the world.
Who ordered the suspension of munitions sales to all belligerents?
Two days after Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany, President Roosevelt issued a proclamation of neutrality and ordered the suspension of munitions sales to all belligerents. But Roosevelt stopped short of asking that Americans remain emotionally neutral in the European conflict.

Overview
"Arsenal of Democracy" was the central phrase used by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a radio broadcast on the threat to national security, delivered on December 29, 1940 — nearly a year before the United States entered the Second World War (1939–1945). Roosevelt promised to help the United Kingdom fight Nazi Germany by selling them military supplies while the United States stayed …
Origins of the phrase
In 1918, Doubleday executive Herbert S. Houston analyzed World War I with an article titled "Blocking New Wars". He wrote that American business was the "Protector of Democracy" while the American free press was "one of the most effective weapons in the arsenal of democracy."
The concept of America as an actual arsenal came from the American playwright Robert E. Sherwood, who was quoted in the May 12, 1940 New York Times as saying "this country is alread…
Synopsis
Much of the ending of the speech attempted to dispel complacency. Roosevelt laid out the situation, and then pointed out the flaws in United States isolationism. He mentioned that "Some of us like to believe that even if Britain falls, we are still safe, because of the broad expanse of the Atlantic and of the Pacific."
He refuted this by saying that modern technology had effectively reduced the distances across t…
Impact
The speech reflected the American approach to entry into World War II. It marked the decline of the isolationist and non-interventionist doctrine that had dominated interwar U.S. foreign policy since the United States' involvement in World War I. At the time, while the United States Navy appeared strong and was widely thought to guarantee the Western Hemisphere would be safe from invas…
United States armament manufacturers
The spending on military production was distributed 32% for aircraft, 14.8% for ships, 25.6% for ordnance (guns, ammunition and military vehicles), 4.9% for electronics, and the remaining 22.7% for fuels, clothing, construction materials, and food. Note that production costs fell steadily—the same item cost much less to produce in 1945 than in 1942. The largest United States military prime contractors are listed below in order of the total value of munitions produced from June 1…
Notes
1. ^ Hooks, Gregory and Leonard E. Bloomquist. "The Legacy of World War II for Regional Growth and Decline: The Cumulative Effects of Wartime Investments on U.S. Manufacturing, 1947–1972". Social Forces, Vol. 71, No. 2 (Dec.,1992), pp. 303–337. Note: See especially the discussion surrounding the table on page 308.
2. ^ Houston, Herbert S. (October 1918). "Blocking New Wars". The Furniture Worker: 364.
References and further reading
• Hyde, Charles K. Arsenal of Democracy: The American Automobile Industry in World War II. Detroit: WSU P, 2013. ISBN 978-0-81-433951-0
• Jordan, Jonathan W. American Warlords: How Roosevelt's High Command Led America to Victory in World War II (NAL/Caliber 2015).
• Kennedy, David M. Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–1945. 1999. pp 468–69. ISBN 978-0-19-514403-1