Changes

=== Commander in Chief ===  

=== Commander in Chief ===  

[[Image:Josephstalin.jpg‎|thumb|325px|right|Roosevelt in 1941 formed an alliance of convenience with Stalin to defeat Hitler.]]  

[[Image:Josephstalin.jpg‎|thumb|325px|right|Roosevelt in 1941 formed an alliance of convenience with Stalin to defeat Hitler.]]  

In August 1939 Stalin made an alliance with Hitler under which both jointly waged aggressive war against Poland; the two divided Poland and eastern Europe between them, as Germany turned toward France and Britain.  With Roosevelt strongly supporting France and Britain, the American Communist Party began attacking Roosevelt in the wildest terms and did so for the next twenty-two months.  In the 1940 election, pro-Moscow elements in the CIO forced [[John L. Lewis]] to turn against Roosevelt and support the liberal Republican [[Wendell Willkie]]. Roosevelt meanwhile moved right, and brought into top jobs the GOP vice presidential nominee from 1936, Frank Knox (a conservative who became Secretary of the Navy) and conservative Republican lawyer [[Henry Stimson]], who took over the War Department.  Rejecting advice from the far left, 90% of CIO members voted for Roosevelt, who was easily elected to a third term.

In August 1939 Stalin made an alliance with Hitler under which both jointly waged aggressive war against Poland; the two divided Poland and eastern Europe between them, as Germany turned toward France and Britain.  With Roosevelt strongly supporting France and Britain, the American Communist Party began attacking Roosevelt in the wildest terms and did so for the next twenty-two months.  In the 1940 election, pro-Moscow elements in the CIO forced [[John L. Lewis]] to turn against Roosevelt and support the liberal Republican [[Wendell Willkie]]. Roosevelt meanwhile moved right, and brought into top jobs the GOP vice presidential nominee from 1936, Frank Knox (a conservative who became Secretary of the Navy) and conservative Republican lawyer [[Henry Stimson]], who took over the War Department.  Rejecting advice from the far left, 90% of CIO members voted for Roosevelt, who was easily elected to a third term.

Roosevelt was determined to help Britain and at one point after Pearl Harbor [[Winston Churchill]] even moved into the White House to coordinate war strategy.  Isolations, led by the [[America First]] Committee and Senator [[Burton K. Wheeler]] tried to block the moves toward war. [[File:Warplan.jpg|thumb|400px|Wheeler leaks top secret US war plan three days before Pearl Harbor]]

Roosevelt was determined to help Britain and at one point after Pearl Harbor [[Winston Churchill]] even moved into the White House to coordinate war strategy.  Isolations, led by the [[America First]] Committee and Senator [[Burton K. Wheeler]] tried to block the moves toward war.  

In early December 1941 a military officer gave Senator Wheeler a copy of the top secret American war plan for fighting Germany. Wheeler gave it to the ''Chicago Tribune'', which published the secrets in a desperate effort to weaken the American military so much that Roosevelt would avoid war. Pearl Harbor came a few days later and Wheeler and the isolationists went quiet.

 

 

In early December 1941 a military officer gave Senator Burton Wheeler, an isolationist liberal Democrat, a copy of the top secret American war plan for fighting Germany. Wheeler gave it to the ''Chicago Tribune'', which published the secrets in a desperate effort to weaken the American military so much that Roosevelt would avoid war. Pearl Harbor came a few days later and Wheeler and the isolationists went quiet.

The policy makers in Washington--including those at the newly constructed Pentagon--wanted to focus on defeating the main enemy, Germany.  Public opinion (and the Navy) insisted on defeating Japan first. Given the military situation, there was little in 1942-43 the U.S. could do to defeat Germany except send military supplies to Britain and Russia, which was done.  The war in 1942-43 of necessity focused on Japan, and it was a very hard-fought war fought primarily with naval aviation.  The great American victory at the [[Battle of Midway]] ended the Japanese blitzkrieg and evened out the forces. Japan was unprepared for a long war, and already by early 1942 the U.S. had far more warships and warplanes under construction than Japan did.  Before the material edge became decisive, American forces defeated the Japanese at the [[Battle of Guadalcanal]]. By 1943 the "island hopping" campaign under Admiral [[Chester Nimitz]] in the central Pacific, and under General [[Douglas MacArthur]] in the Southwest Pacific was inexorably pushing American forces toward the Japanese home islands, with the goal of invading them and capturing Tokyo.

The policy makers in Washington--including those at the newly constructed Pentagon--wanted to focus on defeating the main enemy, Germany.  Public opinion (and the Navy) insisted on defeating Japan first. Given the military situation, there was little in 1942-43 the U.S. could do to defeat Germany except send military supplies to Britain and Russia, which was done.  The war in 1942-43 of necessity focused on Japan, and it was a very hard-fought war fought primarily with naval aviation.  The great American victory at the [[Battle of Midway]] ended the Japanese blitzkrieg and evened out the forces. Japan was unprepared for a long war, and already by early 1942 the U.S. had far more warships and warplanes under construction than Japan did.  Before the material edge became decisive, American forces defeated the Japanese at the [[Battle of Guadalcanal]]. By 1943 the "island hopping" campaign under Admiral [[Chester Nimitz]] in the central Pacific, and under General [[Douglas MacArthur]] in the Southwest Pacific was inexorably pushing American forces toward the Japanese home islands, with the goal of invading them and capturing Tokyo.