Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Foreign Policy, 1932-1945: With a New Afterword (Oxford Paperbacks) 2nd Edition

by Robert Dallek (Author)

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ISBN-13: 978-0195097320

ISBN-10: 0195097327

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Since the original publication of this classic book in 1979, Roosevelt's foreign policy has come under attack on three main points: Was Roosevelt responsible for the confrontation with Japan that led to the attack at Pearl Harbor? Did Roosevelt "give away" Eastern Europe to Stalin and the
U.S.S.R. at Yalta? And, most significantly, did Roosevelt abandon Europe's Jews to the Holocaust, making no direct effort to aid them?

In a new Afterword to his definitive history, Dallek vigorously and brilliantly defends Roosevelt's policy. He emphasizes how Roosevelt operated as a master politician in maintaining a national consensus for his foreign policy throughout his presidency and how he brilliantly achieved his policy
and military goals.

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Editorial Reviews

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"A dazzling narrative...elegant...history on the grandest scale, embracing a world-wide cast of characters and all the continents....All the heroes and villains of the day before yesterday are alive again in these pages--particularly Churchill, Stalin, DeGaulle, and Chiang."--New York Times Book
Review

"A book that will become a landmark in its field, indispensable to scholars and critical to our understanding of American foreign policy."--The New Republic

"Lucid, sympathetic, but critical, this is, quite simply, the best book that has been written on this important subject."--William E. Leuchtenburg, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

"With archival riches evident on almost every page and with the relevant monographic literature thoroughly absorbed, this lucid study will please scholar and general reader alike."--Journal of American History

From the Back Cover

Robert Dallek vigorously and convincingly defends Roosevelts's foreign policy. He emphasizes how Roosevelt operated as a master politician in maintaining a national consensus for his foreign policy throughout his presidency and how he brilliantly achieved his policy and military goals.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 2nd edition (May 25, 1995)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 688 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195097327
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195097320
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.48 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.56 x 5.3 x 1.63 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #541,487 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #293 in International Relations (Books)
- #893 in United States History (Books)
- #5,100 in Political Science (Books)

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Robert Dallek

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Robert Dallek is the author of Nixon and Kissinger, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963, among other books. His writing has appeared in the The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Vanity Fair. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the Society of American Historians, for which he served as president in 2004–2005. He lives in Washington, D.C.

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btrimble

Foreign Policy

Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2018

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Good read for understanding U. S. entry into WWII and the complexities of foreign policies.

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Linda Spincola

Outstanding > Definitive one volume accounting of US foreign policy ...

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2017

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Outstanding > Definitive one volume accounting of US foreign policy decisions and the development of strategy in the incredible epic of FDR's presidency > Classic must have

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Larry Witherell

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2016

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Excellent

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Gregory Canellis

Leadership Style of the 20th Century's Greatest President

Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2003

In one volume, Robert Dallek has attempted to counter the vast amount of printed material covering Franklin D. Roosevelt's domestic policies during the 1930's and 1940's. The result is a mammoth effort that sheds light on the enormous pressures Roosevelt faced both at home and abroad during the turbulent decades when the world struggled to emerge from the shambles of a Great Depression, and prepare itself for a global conflict. Dallek argues that most historians do not fully understand the nature of Roosevelt's foreign policy. Dallek also claims that researchers tend to focus on FDR's shortcomings without emphasizing the constraints with which he was forced to work. Dallek's main purpose is to highlight the continual dilemmas Roosevelt faced in an effort to always strive for balance and compromise between public opinion and foreign affairs. FDR realized the need to break the country away from isolationism and place it in the global arena, both economically and politically, while at the same time facing the growing threat from the Axis powers. Though Dallek is noted as a gifted narrator, it is Roosevelt's leadership style,criticized as somewhat unorthodox,and the many quandaries in which he prevailed that provides the strength of Dallek's book. Dallek chose a ridged chronological format, which he maintained throughout the book. The chronological methodology in essential to enable the reader to understand the patterns that emerged within Roosevelt's style of leadership. For instance, rather than try to sway public opinion as to why the United States should supply aid to its allies or begin preparing for war, Roosevelt instead would allow the events then taking shape in Europe and Asia to speak for themselves to convince the American public. FDR's early foreign policy (1932-1935) was primarily centered on economic recovery. Roosevelt clearly understood that the Great Depression was a global problem. Roosevelt strove to reduce tariffs, improve trade and stabilize the dollar with foreign currencies. He has been widely criticized for going off the gold standard and blamed for the failure of the London Economic Conference. Dallek states, however, that Roosevelt clearly achieved two very important underlying objectives: First, domestic economic recovery must take priority over foreign affairs This belief was evident in the many Hundred Days policies that FDR implemented. Second, Dallek argues that Roosevelt's main goal was at best to "restore a measure of faith in international cooperation." Roosevelt was always aware of his limitations. Dallek believes that the years 1935-1939 was the most important period in Roosevelt's foreign policy. During this time, Roosevelt faced many obstacles. Dubbed an "Idealist" for his efforts towards disarmament and United States participation in the World Court, FDR was also criticized as being naïve in his reactions to the aggressive actions of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. Dallek diligently describes how FDR's hands were tied by the very nature of the Neutrality Acts, pressure from Isolationists, student peace activists, and religious groups, particularly Catholics at home. The events of World War II exposed yet more criticisms upon Roosevelt's handling of foreign affairs. In a new Afterword (1995), Dallek explains some of the legitimate critiques as well as some of the ludicrous claims concerning FDR's handling of the war. Dallek disregards the revisionist view that Roosevelt knew of, or allowed the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor as an excuse to draw the United States into the war. Some revisionists even propose the existence of a British conspiracy to lure the United States into the war. Dallek points out there are even those that claim British pilots flying planes with Japanese markings took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Dallek praises Roosevelt as a visionary, accurately predicting a world view he never lived to see. Dallek disagrees with the "naïveté" Roosevelt exhibited at Yalta, claiming FDR did not sell out Eastern Europe to Stalin. Dallek dismisses this as a myth, claiming Roosevelt clearly understood the price for 20 million Russian killed during World War II would be Eastern Europe. Dallek also defends Roosevelt's decision to back the doomed Chiang Kai-shek regime in China. Dallek believes FDR knew that someday China would be a dominant world power and although he felt that democracy in both China and the Soviet Union were unlikely, he hoped for eventual global cooperation between the superpowers. Dallek harshest criticism of Roosevelt's tenure is the interment of Japanese-Americans. This book offers the reader valuable insight into the complex problems facing Roosevelt's decision-making processes on the eve of World War II. For this reason, Dallek's work holds a valued place in political and historical literature.

30 people found this helpful

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Todd Carlsen

Encyclopedic, Bancroft Prize-Winning Book on FDR's Foreign Policy

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2005

This encyclopedic, academic book won the Bancroft Prize and is the best single-volume book on Franklin Roosevelt's foreign policy. Roosevelt was a very clever leader. He understood the importance of public opinion and balanced American idealism with realistic pragmatism. This book covers FDR's foreign policy - his aims, means, and results. Some of the highlights include the fact that FDR had to govern in an isolationist nation, which forced FDR to tactfully manage public opinion to deftly lead America out of isolationism and confront Hitler. Dallek describes looking at his foreign policy as looking through a kaleidoscope. It appears to make no sense until you see the mechanism behind the scenes. Another highlight is his effort to bring meaning to the war with his Four Freedoms. The ingenious Lend-Lease plan gave aid to Britain in a way that the public could accept - although with heated debate. He likened it to lending a hose to a friend with a house fire. He proposed this at great political risk, since opposition was heated and an election was approaching. But he won his policy and it was a landmark moment. Some people suggest that FDR's foreign policy was uneven and confusing, but that was mainly FDR's obtaining his goals in light of the political winds.

For anyone interested in FDR's foreign policy I highly recommend this classic by Dallek, along with Conrad Black's masterpiece "Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom," Burns's "Soldier of Freedom," Langer's "The Challenge to Isolation," Greenfield's "America's Strategy in World War II," Kimball's "The Juggler" and Gerhard Weinberg's excellent "A World at Arms," which emphasizes the diplomatic and political aspects.

12 people found this helpful

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Ahoj2you

It does read like a hagiography of Franklin D

Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2015

I agree with much of the criticism of this book. It does read like a hagiography of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Many will not share Dallek's highly "liberal" interpretation of Roosevelt as a great wartime leader (undoubtedly he was a great domestic leader). Roosevelt's seemingly boundless idealism blinded him to a number of realities during the war which led to additional suffering of millions. First was his sugar-coated understanding of the Soviet regime under Stalin. In this context, Lend Lease should never have been extended to the Soviets. Doing so almost certainly prolonged the war in the West (after Normandy, the Allies literally rand out of gas) and almost certainly was the decisive factor in the Soviets advancing as far West as they did and first into Eastern Europe. Then of course there was Roosevelt;'s ridiculous and moralistic "Unconditional Surrender," which arguably prolonged the war (with Germany at least) by up to a year. Due to this misguided policy - with which Churchill strongly disagreed - resistance groups in Germany had nowhere to turn and were easy prey for the Nazis. Then there was the obvious neglect to act on pretty clear (and early) intelligence concerning the occurrence of actual genocide (not yet termed Holocaust). If only the rail lines had been targeted for bombing instead of the city centers, countless lives could have been saved. This still remains to be explained. And of course then there was the decision to let de-Gaulle lead the march first into Paris, the disastrous Yalta Agreement. etc. etc. Dallek's book does a poor job of analyzing and explaining all of these. The book is still worth browsing for historical background and a chronological recounting of US wartime foreign policy, but should not be relied upon to explain the very controversial dimensions of Roosevelt's wartime policies.

5 people found this helpful

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Overseas Reviewer

The enigma of FDR

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 16, 2009

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The first chapter of this book provides an interesting and concise biography of FDR before he reached the pinnacle of elected office in the early thirties. The following couple of chapters dealing with trade policy are actually pretty confusing and as a result very dull - far too much specialist knowledge is assumed by the author and the merits and constraints of all of the policy alternatives on offer are never explained clearly. I know domestic policy is out of scope but even a little coverage of the New Deal would provide useful context.

Happily, the rest (i.e. the majority) of the content is devoted to foreign policy and relations during the `Dark Valley', the entry and conduct of WW2, including the President's prolonged struggle with isolationists in Congress and the House. As can be expected from Robert Dallek the right amount of detail is presented and, the writing style maintains interest.

The book concludes with an analysis of the FDR presidency. The negative aspects of FDR's time in office, such as his use of domestic wiretaps and failure to provide more assistance to Europe's jews are weighed with his considerable achievements. The conclusion is, unsurprisingly, largely positive although the author acknowledges that the nature of the man and his motives remain, as he in life intended, resistant to a definative understanding.

4 people found this helpful

Søren

Read it!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2016

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Great piece of political history. Robert Dallek is an excellent writer and this is a very interesting book.

Ibra

Etat du bouquin

Reviewed in France on July 29, 2016

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Livre en mauvais état, les pages ne tiennent qu'à un fil. je ne sais pas si je pourrai le lire jusqu'au bout sans qu'il ne s'effrite entièrement.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Foreign Policy, 1932-1945: With a New Afterword (Oxford Paperbacks) 2nd Edition

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