Roosevelt and the Second World War

[kiddiejayjay]

What was Roosevelt's stance on the Second World War before Pearl Harbor?

[WaldoMcFroog]

I'm currently reading Noam Chomsky's Deferring Democracy, in which he states that the US government regarded both Hitler and Mussolini as barriers against the threat of internal communism, and therefore supported them - Italy in particular. They were labelled as 'moderates', which is apparently the favoured US method of designating foriegn despots who nevertheless support US interests, and is still. FDR is not directly named however.

[incitatus]

FDR himself was genrally opposed to fascism, but had a government who wanted no truck with intervention. He pushed through Lend-Lease as a method of assisting the war in europe without causing a senate rebellion.

[JohnPPotts]

Even after Pearl Harbour, it was unclear whether the US would intervene in Europe, regarding German expansionism as Europe's problem. Hitler made it easy for Roosevelt (who was in favour of intervention) by declaring war on America, in accordance with the Pact of Steel.