During World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and aviator Charles Lindbergh clashed over the U.S. role in the global conflict. Roosevelt believed in aiding the Allies against the Axis powers, viewing Nazi Germany as a threat to global democracy. Through initiatives like the Lend-Lease Act, he aimed to support Britain and other nations fighting against the Nazis, hoping to protect U.S. interests by preventing Axis domination in Europe.
Lindbergh, on the other hand, was a prominent spokesman for the America First Committee, a non-interventionist group formed in 1940. He believed that the U.S. should avoid entanglement in European wars, arguing that the country should focus on its own defense and avoid unnecessary conflict. Lindbergh's speeches suggested that aiding Britain could drag the U.S. into a costly war that didn't serve American interests. His views, however, were criticized for being too sympathetic to Nazi Germany, particularly after he made remarks suggesting that Jewish influence was pushing the U.S. toward war.
The America First movement sought to keep the U.S. out of World War II, believing that involvement would weaken American defenses, lead to economic instability, and result in unnecessary loss of life. They advocated for a policy of isolationism, reflecting widespread public reluctance to enter another overseas conflict after the devastation of World War I.
Guest:
H. W. Brands has written thirty books, coauthored or edited five others, and published dozens of articles and scores of reviews. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and others. His latest book is "America First: Roosevelt and Lindbergh in The Shadow of War."
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