Churchill and Roosevelt

Interesting and entertaining article in the Smithsonian about their relationship.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/darkest-days-world-war-ii-winston-churchills-visit-white-house-brought-hope-washington-180961798/

 

Oddly enough, FDR's wife was not thrilled to have his boozy British friend over for a 3 week stay.

 

What wife is, ever? Thrilled, that is.

 

LOL. To be a fly on the wall during those closed meetings.

 

No doubt Churchill's aim was to get face to face with Roosevelt and make sure the US didn't stray off the reservation. He couldn't have the US fighting a seperate war against the Japanese who had just attacked them. Hitler and supporting Britain had to remain the primary focus.

 

One of those guys had a tank named after him.

 

Meh...The other one had an aircraft carrier named after him.

 

It was the hat

 

I remember listening to Derrick and Clive (look them up) and one was saying that he was employed during the war to remove the bogies off Churchill's bed sheets every morning...apparently his cigar smoking had its "down side".

 

At least, this stay went better than their first meeting in 1918.

 

Or not.

The ABC-1 talks did establish an outline for combined strategy if and when the US entered the war. The world situation had changed greatly since these talks concluded in March. 1941.
The Atlantic Conference produced general war aims and post war principles, but was simply a public statement of intent. It was not a treaty and was non-binding.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor changed everything. Roosevelt got his declaration of war against Japan on December 8th, but did not ask for one against Germany because he feared it would be defeated. Germany, in Hitler's infinite stupidity, solved that problem by declaring war on the US on December 11th. American public and Congressional opinion, fueled by anger, favored war with Japan and revenge (a position held by many in the military as well). Churchill feared the US would focus on War with Japan because Roosevelt would be unable to resist the public and political pressure and the war with Germany would take a back seat. He so stated himself:

Churchill recalls his deep concern over this possibility:
"We knew...that the outrage at Pearl Harbor had stirred the people of the United States to their depths. The official reports and the Press summaries we had received gave the impression that the whole fury of the nation would be turned upon Japan. We feared lest the true proportion of the war as a whole might not be understood. We were conscious of a serious danger that the United States might pursue the war against Japan in the Pacific and leave us to fight Germany and Italy in Europe, Africa, and in the Middle East."-The Second World War" by Winston Churchill, Volume 3 "The Grand Alliance" pg. 514

 

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor did not change anything. The "Germany First" strategy had already been decided upon...Even if we were at war with Japan.
http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/pha/misc/rainbow5.html

While Pearl Harbor may have outraged the public, the US military leadership had already decided that Germany was first and foremost "Enemy #1."

 

And the stogie.

 

And the war would soon be brought to America's doorstep by Drumbeat, the sight of ships torpedoed and burning right off the shore shocked the public

 

That's not the only contorted thrill as Pres Franklin and the first lady did not share the same bed nor bedroom. Late night drinking sessions would have little effect on their marital relations in comparison to most.

Because issues and concerns of public opinion, FDR specifically stalled for the possibility/probability of the short mustache declaring on the US. Hitler did so with the expectations Japan would join in Germany's war with Soviet Union which of course did not happen. Declaring so also lifted attack restrictions on US vessels, making it "open season," on shipping destined for England.

Infinite stupidity, agreed.