In May 1940, the Nazi Blitzkrieg was overrunning France.

Great Britain would be next.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sent a telegram to the American President, Franklin

Roosevelt.

I trust you realize, Churchill wrote, the voice and the force of the United States may

count for nothing if they are withheld too long.

Roosevelt was a former Assistant Secretary of the Navy and a student of Naval strategy.

If Hitler were to take control of Britain, he would take control of the Atlantic.

This Roosevelt knew would pose a grave threat to America.

Roosevelt also knew America wasn't ready for war.

Not psychologically, most Americans didn't want to get involved in a conflict on the

other side of the ocean and not militarily.

The United States had the world's 18th largest army.

Hungary and even Holland had bigger armies.

While Hitler commanded the most advanced military machine ever seen, the Army's chief of

staff, General George Marshall, told Roosevelt that if Hitler overrun Europe and landed

seven divisions on the East Coast, there was nothing anyone could do to stop him.

With all this staring Roosevelt in the face, it would have been irresponsible for the commander

in chief not to arm the United States for war.

But how?

Many in his administration believed then, as many Americans believed now, that the only

way to deal with an extreme crisis was to give the government as much power and authority

...