A Blueprint for War: FDR and the Hundred Days That Mobilized America

The Henry L. Stimson Lectures Series

by Susan Dunn

In the cold winter months that followed Franklin Roosevelt’s election in November 1940 to an unprecedented third term in the White House, he confronted a worldwide military and moral catastrophe. Almost all the European democracies had fallen under the ruthless onslaught of the Nazi army and air force. Great Britain stood alone, a fragile bastion between Germany and American immersion in war. In the Pacific world, Japan had extended its tentacles deeper into China. Susan Dunn dramatically brings to life the most vital and transformational period of Roosevelt’s presidency: the hundred days between December 1940 and March 1941, when he mobilized American industry, mustered the American people, initiated the crucial programs and approved the strategic plans for America’s leadership in World War II. As the nation began its transition into the preeminent military, industrial, and moral power on the planet, FDR laid out the stunning blueprint not only for war but for the American Century.

Genres: History, World War II, Presidents, Politics, Nonfiction, American History, Us Presidents

264 pages, Hardcover

Published April 17, 2018

About the author

Susan Dunn is Professor of Literature and the History of Ideas at Williams College and Senior Scholar and the Academy of Leadership at the University of Maryland. She is the author of several books, including the critically acclaimed Sister Revolutions

Academic Degrees
* A. B. cum laude, Smith College, 1966. Phi Beta Kappa.
* Ph.D. Harvard University, 1973

Professional Experience
* Williams College, Preston S. Parish '41 Third Century Professor in the Arts and Humanities, 1973 to present
* Wellesley College, Instructor, 1971-1973
* Harvard University, Extension Division, Instructor, 1970-1973
* Harvard University, Teaching Fellow, 1967-1970

Reviews

[Alex Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well-written book regarding the beginning of WWII and the transformation of foreign policy by FDR with the help of lend lease act. Explains everything in detail from domestic to foreign policy. Very compact (180 pages) and helpful for researches!

[Gavinõ · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It’s a terrible thing to look over your shoulder when you are trying to lead—and to find no one there." – Franklin Delano Roosevelt

This quote perfectly encapsulates the challenge FDR faced in the early months of his third term. Unlike his first two terms, where he successfully united the nation behind sweeping New Deal programs to combat the Great Depression, his efforts to prepare America for war were met with hesitation and resistance.

The scars of World War I were still fresh, and many Americans saw little reason to become entangled in another European conflict. Isolationist sentiment ran deep, championed by figures such as aviation hero Charles Lindbergh and Senator Burton K. Wheeler of Montana. They, along with many others, argued that the United States should focus on domestic affairs rather than risk American lives in a foreign war. But Roosevelt saw the reality of the international situation. He understood that neutrality was a dangerous illusion and that delaying action would only leave the nation vulnerable. Despite public resistance, he took on the immense challenge of rearming America and redefining the nation's role on the world stage.

But why did FDR push so aggressively to put the American economy on a war footing in his third term? For one, the president was a keen observer and realized the world was unraveling at an alarming pace. With Nazi Germany's blitzkrieg into neutral nations and the fire bombings of cities like Rotterdam and London, a new era of total war had begun. Meanwhile, the signing of the Tripartite Pact and the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact solidified dangerous alliances among totalitarian regimes intent on reshaping the global order. By November 1941, only Great Britain and its Commonwealth allies stood between democracy and the unchecked expansion of fascism and Soviet influence. Roosevelt knew that if Britain fell, the United States would be left isolated and its trade routes would be threatened.

Therefore, Roosevelt decided that the United States needed to arm both itself and Britain to ensure the survival of the democratic powers. To do this, he would require legislative approval. Thus, within the first 100 days of his third term, the fight for the passage of House Resolution 1776 (Lend-Lease) took place on Capitol Hill.

Susan Dunn does a well-enough job describing how Roosevelt sold Lend-Lease to the American public, notably through his garden hose analogy and the 1941 "March for Dimes" broadcast. She also goes into great depth about the key figures who assisted FDR in implementing this strategy, with particular focus on Frank Knox, George Marshall, Harold Stark, and Henry Stimson. I found it particularly interesting that Roosevelt surrounded himself with military leaders who were disciplined contrarians—men who, at times, even challenged his own directives.

Additionally, the book sheds light on the transactional nature of Lend-Lease, which was far less altruistic than its name suggests. For example, Dunn details how the U.S. Senate authorized the seizure of British assets, including Viscose, the largest British-owned company in the United States at the time.

However, despite these intriguing details, I found the book had a few notable shortcomings. Firstly, the author’s tone comes across as quite biased. While I agree that an interventionist stance was ultimately necessary to liberate Europe and the Pacific, I felt Dunn injected unnecessary negative connotations when describing those opposed to intervention. For instance, she describes Senator Burton K. Wheeler as "menacing"—despite the fact that his concerns about Hollywood’s interventionist bias in films were valid, particularly since many of these productions were British-funded (as detailed in 1941: Fighting the Shadow War: A Divided America in a World at War).

I also had hoped this book would delve more into how the United States mobilized labor, materials, and funding to build the largest military force in world history. Unfortunately, there was only a single chapter dedicated to this. While it was fascinating to learn about the administration’s initial struggles with the National Defense Advisory Commission (NDAC)—which was quickly dissolved in favor of the more effective Office of Production Management (OPM)—this aspect of the war effort deserved far more attention. The OPM, led by William Knudsen (management), Sidney Hillman (labor), Henry Stimson (Army procurement), and Frank Knox (Navy procurement), played a crucial role in America’s wartime production. Given that the Allies' ability to outproduce the Axis was arguably the single greatest factor in their victory, the decision to limit this discussion to one chapter was a significant disappointment.

Due to the author’s intrinsic bias and the book’s lack of depth on the military-industrial complex, I would not recommend this book. If you are interested in understanding how the United States prepared for war, I would suggest picking up a book specifically focused on the OPM.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

My third Susan Dunn book - all about 1940. This one is about what Dunn describes as Roosevelt's "Third Hundred Days", when FDR prepared the nation for war. Not much on the nuts and bolts of building the arsenal of democracy (this is covered in depth elsewhere) here. Instead, Dunn details the tortuous rhetorical, legislative and strategic foundation that preceded and justified the actual buildup. It's clear that Dunn considers Lend-Lease one of FDR's signature accomplishments. I found it especially interesting -and cruelly ironic - that it was Admiral Harold Stark, the Chief of Naval Operations, who argued for and wrote the foundational Europe-first military strategy that guided the US and allied forces in WWII, who ultimately took the fall for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. I listened to the audiobook, beautifully narrated by Suzanne Toren.

[Eugenea Pollock · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very good coverage of 1940, the year before the U.S. became fully involved in WWII; Lend-Lease and American efforts to assist Britain as she stood alone against Hitler dominate the pages of this history book. I was particularly interested to follow the activities of Harry Hopkins, since my father always told me the story of meeting him at the reception area of a naval hospital where my dad, a young Pharmacist’s Mate, was manning the desk. Mr. Hopkins, without name tag, started to walk into the hospital. My dad stopped him, asking for I.D. Seeing his name, Daddy, embarrassed, apologized. Mr. Hopkins put him at ease, saying he had done just what he was supposed to do. A kind man who treated his subordinates respectfully, I’d say.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Derived from the Henry Stimson Lectures at Yale, this book focuses narrowly on the "Third Hundred Days" from shortly after the 1940 election through the passage of Lend-Lease in March 1941. The author demonstrates how FDR irrevocably drew the US out of isolation and into internationalism.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle version omits photo section

When I buy a book on Kindle, I would like to receive the entire work. A history book without illustrations is a real disappointment.

[Piker7977 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Blueprint for War: FDR and the Hundred Days that Mobilized America focuses on the period between Roosevelt's third electoral victory and the drafting of the Atlantic Charter. The reader gets a good retelling of the political leadership, ideology, and circumstances that encouraged FDR's interventionist strategy.

We get a great history of the politics and processes involved in mobilization. For instance, the reader becomes familiar with the battle for Lend Lease in the House and Senate: who was for it and who were against it. Among the figures that Dunn highlights is the America First Committee. Mr. Lindbergh and his extreme isolationist colleagues are not portrayed in a flattering manner which reflects one the larger themes (if not the largest theme) of the book: internationalism. The story of FDR's ideas and initiatives that led to American participation during the Second World War is a prime example of why the executive should have an international outlook when it comes to times of global conflict, tension, and national recovery. The underlining narrative of this idea is the United States' relationship with Britain. The Anglo-American friendship/alliance is one that history has proved correct. Thanks to Dunn, the reader of Blueprint for War will understand that it was much more than Roosevelt and Churchill. It was the people of each nation along with the politicians, diplomats, and military leaders who were involved in forging this partnership.

That lesson is a little heavy handed in this book as Dunn may be overselling it a bit. However, the historiography is timely as the lessons for international cooperation, the preservation of democracies across the globe, and the need to remember all aspects of the Second World War, not just the military histories, face an urgency in contemporary political and historical discourse.

[Charles Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had some good historical information about the steps taken in the US to prepare the country for WWII. After reading several books about this time, my opinion is that FDR was not the President that the US needed at the time. He wasn't interested in making the difficult decisions, he did not give his Administration direction or information. He left his Vice Presidents uninformed about issues. But we did survive. The book shows where the WW 2 Alliance came from and that was very interesting.

It is very odd to see parallels between today's current events and those days - Anne Lindbergh among others wrote that fascism was the future and that democracy was too weak, she wrote from the perspective of the Depression. Today we have some people saying the same things. The book suggests that an alliance between the Soviet Union against fascist Germany and Italy was inevitable but I wonder if it might have turned out that there could have been an alliance with Germany against the Soviet Union, if the Soviets had been more aggressive.

Anyway it was a very interesting book.

[Roberto Lourenco]

They remove images to adapt books to kindle

The book is great. The adaptation to kindle is crap. No pictures were part of the kindle version of the book.

[Matthew Ludden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading this off-and-on since last year. It's definitely a thorough book, getting across thousands of pages worth of history in just a little over a hundred and fifty, but I suppose that would always come at the cost of not every word, person and event carrying the 'weight' it should. Still, I'd probably recommend this to anyone wanting to learn about those pivotal hundred days.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Blueprint for War: FDR and the Hundred Days That Mobilized America by Susan Dunn is focused on the beginning of Roosevelt's unprecedented third term and his efforts to mobilize the United States for the inevitable involvement in World War II. Unlike his experimental efforts to address the Great Depression that many think actually prolonged and even worsened the effects on Americans, when it came to military strategy and plans for war he wisely chose a team of some of the best and most experienced people available regardless of any political leanings. He then, for a number of reasons, let them do what they were good at with the successful results we are familiar with. He was in tune with international aspects of what was good for America with the exception of his naivete when dealing with Stalin and communist Russia with whom he had some common ideals. The author presents a well researched study of FDR's work to guide the US leading up to how to support Britain while telling Americans that we would be staying out of the war, the majority opinion according to the polls that he watched religiously.