I'm John Batchew with Professor H.W. Brands. America First is his new book, Roosevelt v. Lindberg, in the shadow of war. I read from the professor's manuscript.

Mr. President, what's this about Japan? Churchill said as he called Roosevelt. It's quite true, Roosevelt replied.

They have attacked us at Pearl Harbor.

We're all in the same boat now.

Churchill says, this certainly simplifies things.

Professor, the story was about Europe.

They're now attacked by Japan, which I believe at one point the prime minister referred to as you'll take care of the dog Japan for us.

So I've always wondered about those four days between the 8th of December when Roosevelt asked for a declaration of war and the 8th when Churchill, when Hitler declares war.

What happened in Germany? Why did you do that?

So this is one of those great what if moments in history. Because the debate over American

entry into the war was 95% about America entry into the European war. Now, in hindsight, we think

of this as World War II. but in those days, these are two

separate wars. And Roosevelt has quietly been putting pressure upon Japan, thinking that, okay, we have to

prevent Japan from expanding throughout the Pacific part of Asia. But there was an alliance that

linked Germany to Japan, And so Roosevelt saw that

connection. And anyway, so the Japanese decide for their own reasons that they're going to

attack the United States because the United States has essentially delivered an ultimatum,

saying you have to pull out of Indonesia, you have to end the war in China. And the Japanese

aren't going to do it. They're going to, in fact, expand the war. They know that will mean war against the United States,

and they want to land the first blow. America won't be expecting it in Hawaii, and so it'll work.

So the Japanese attack, Pearl Harbor. Roosevelt is surprised by the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor,

not particularly surprised by a Japanese attack.

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