The Definitive FDR

by James Macgregor Burns

  Roosevelt’s defense tour: HHP, Box 333, includes planned itinerary; the President’s reports to press, Oct. 1, 1942, and public, Oct. 12, 1942, are in PPA, 1942, pp. 384-396, 416-426. The trip itself: Merriman Smith, Thank You, Mr. President (Harper, 1946), pp. 50-56; Time, Oct. 12, 1942, pp. 15-17. Margaret Mead’s book was And Keep Your Powder Dry (Morrow, 1942); quotations from pp. 161, 167, 174. On the problems of the mobilization effort and the mood of the people, early 1942: Reston, especially chaps. 2, 3, 7, 11.

  The Politics of Nonpolitics. Roosevelt’s comments to the press on forgetting politics: PC 811, March 13, 1942; see also PC 803, Feb. 6, 1942; PPA, 1942, p. 80. Liberal hopes for party realignment: PM, Feb. 8, 1942, p. 11. Roosevelt-Willkie relationship: Smith Diary, Feb. 14, 1942, LC (Smith mistakenly cites the Labor Relations Board); Barnard, p. 325. Roosevelt and Willkie’s trip abroad: Roosevelt to Marshall, July 31, l942, PSF, Willkie; see also PL, pp. 1336, 1341-1342; PPA, 1942, pp. 334-335.

  Roosevelt to Mary Norton, June 1. l942: PL, p. 1328. Bennett candidacy in New York: Roosevelt to Flynn, Aug. 14, l942, PSF, N.Y. State, Political Folder; see also Hassett, pp. 104-106. Roosevelt and Hamilton Fish: Hassett, pp. 86, 94. Norris candidacy: PPA, l942, p. 433; Roosevelt’s earlier endorsement, Oct. 10, l936: PPA, l936, pp. 431-432; see, generally, Norris Papers, LC. Roosevelt to Norris, Oct. 22, 1942: PL, p. 1357. Willkie trip: Willkie to Roosevelt, Sept. 10, 1942, PSF, Willkie; Clapper Papers, Oct. 30, 1942, Cont. 23, LC. Roosevelt on “typewriter strategists”: PC 849, Oct. 6, 1942; Barnard, pp. 361, 375-377. Cantril data: Cantril Notebook I, pp. 12, 14, 30-32; Cantril to Anna Rosenberg, July 24, Aug. 3, Aug. 17, Sept. 1, 1942, ibid. General election situation: Kenneth Crawford, in PM, Oct. 5, 1942, p. 3; Clapper interview of Hull, Nov. 23, 1942, Clapper Papers, LC. Election Day at Hyde Park: Hassett, p. 133. Norris’s reaction to his defeat: The Nation, Nov. 14, 1942, p. 497.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Roosevelt to King George, Oct. 17, 1942: PL, p. 1354. Stalingrad: Werth, Pt. V; Zhukov, chaps. 9-10; Clark, chaps. 11-12. Stalin on Oct. 1942 as low point: Werth, p. 484. Willkie in Moscow: Werth, p. 485; Davies Papers, Box 12, LC. Guadalcanal: S. E. Morison, The Struggle for Guadalcanal (Boston: Little, Brown, 1949); John Miller, Jr., Guadalcanal: The First Offensive (Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Military History, 1949). For estimates of the situation by naval authorities in Washington during the battle: Clapper Papers, Nov. 6, 1942 (Adm. King); Nov. to, 1942 (Adms. Ghormley and Home), LC. Roosevelt on low point of Guadalcanal operation: Roosevelt to Queen Wilhelmina, Oct. 17, 1942, PL, p. 1355; Roosevelt to Churchill, Oct. 19, 1942, PL, p. 1356. MacArthur’s warning: MacArthur to Marshall, Oct. 17, 1942, PMRP, Box 17. Roosevelt to Joint Chiefs on reinforcing Guadalcanal: Roosevelt to Leahy, King, Marshall, and Arnold, Oct, 24, 1942, PMRP, Box 17. Roosevelt to Stalin on situation in Solomon Islands: Sherwood, p. 658, and, in paraphrased form, Correspondence2, p. 40.

  Thrust Across the Atlantic. The history of the political-military invasion of North Africa has been well served by historians and participants. General background and significance: William L. Langer, Our Vichy Gamble (Knopf, 1947); Robert Aron, Histoire de Vichy (Paris: Librairie Arthème Fayard, 1954); Geoffrey Warner, Pierre Laval and the Eclipse of France (Macmillan, 1969); Paul Farmer, Vichy Political Dilemma (Columbia University Press, 1955); Kolko, pp. 64-67; Maisky, pp. 278-289; Woodward, chap. 10. Military operations: I. S. O. Playfair and C. J. C. Molony, The Mediterranean and Middle East, Vol. IV, The Destruction of the Axis Forces in Africa (London: His Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1966); Howe; Morison2. Participants’ reports: Macmillan; Robert Murphy, Diplomat Among Warriors (Doubleday, 1964); de Gaulle, chaps. 1-3; Eisenhower; Mark W. Clark, Calculated Risk (Harper, 1950); Harry C. Butcher, My Three Years with Eisenhower (Simon and Schuster, 1946). On de Gaulle and North Africa, see also Viorst. Strategic aspects of invasion: Fuller, pp. 240-243. On United States relations with Vichy, see Roosevelt-William D. Leahy correspondence, ABCD File, FDRL. For a detailed estimate of the Vichy situation by Leahy, see Leahy to Roosevelt, Nov. 22, 1941, ABCD File, FDRL. See, generally, Davies Papers, Nov. 2-15, 1942 Folder, Box 12, LC.

  Misgivings about the North African enterprise: Marshall to Leahy and King, 8/17/42, WDCSA/381 Torch, AR; Arnold to Hopkins, Sept. 3, 1942, Arnold Papers, Box 43, LC; Matloff, pp. 236-239, 290; Bryant1, pp. 403-406; OCS 21384-3, AR; Stimson Diary, Box 39; Stimson and Bundy, p. 426. Repercussions of TORCH on other theaters: Pogue1, p. 410; Bryant2, p. 407. Stalin’s doubts on political aspects: Sherwood, p. 618. Murphy’s military knowledge: Murphy, p. 103. Eisenhower’s political grasp: Eisenhower, pp. 100, 109. Background of planning: OCS 21384-3, AR. Churchill-Roosevelt exchange in the planning of TORCH: Churchill4, pp. 530-543; Bryant2, pp. 398-403. Key quotes have been taken from the full messages. Measuring opinion in Africa: Hadley Cantril, “Evaluating the Probable Reactions to the Landing in North Africa in 1942: A Case Study,” Public Opinion Quarterly, Fall 1965, pp. 400-410. Roosevelt to Marshall on timing of invasion: Pogue1, p. 402. Roosevelt’s instruction to Murphy: Murphy, pp. 102, 106. Murphy’s relations with French leaders: Murphy, p. 118. French African political situation: McNeill, pp. 203-209. Anxieties on the eve of invasion: Stimson Diary; Pogue1, pp. 398, 416; Langer, p. 354. Eisenhower’s earlier discouragement: Eisenhower to Marshall, Oct. 10, 1942, 381 Torch, AR. Early’s remark: conference with Marshall, Nov. 15, 1942, Clapper Papers, LC. Roosevelt’s reception of the news of the landing: Tully, p. 264.

  To Walk with the Devil. Reflections on the “luck” of the African enterprise, by an old military observer: J. C. Smuts (writing from Chequers) to Roosevelt, Nov. 15, 1942, PSF, Union of South Africa. Roosevelt’s letter to troops: copy in PSF, War Department File. Roosevelt’s broadcast in French: Butcher, p. 174; PPA, 1942, pp. 451-452; Morison2, p. 71; see also Frankfurter to Roosevelt, April 16, 1942, Freedman, p. 656. Exchange of messages between Roosevelt and Pétain: PPA, 1942, pp. 455-457; see also Leahy to Welles, Nov. 5, 1942, 740.001 EW 1939/25712, SD; Warner, chap. 10. Casablanca “fire-away Flannagan”: Morison2, p. 91. Generally, on the landings, see Morison2 and Howe. Roosevelt’s “promise” to Giraud: McNeill, pp. 205, 246-247, and sources cited therein. The American military and politics: Butcher, p. 165; Mark Clark, pp. 107, 121, 133, 138. Darlan’s situation: Clark, pp. 109-110, has part of the transcript of the Clark-Darlan exchange. Roosevelt to Churchill on Giraud and Darlan, Nov. 11, 1942: 740.0011 EW 1939, SD. See, generally, volumes cited in notes for previous section of this chapter. Marshall’s and Eisenhower’s defense of Darlan dealing: conference with Marshall, Nov. 15, 1942, Clapper Papers, LC.

  Freda Kirchwey quotation: The Nation, Nov. 21, 1942, pp. 529-530; ibid., Nov. 28, 1942, pp. 559-560. Churchill to Eden on de Gaulle: Eden, pp. 350-351; see also Nicolson, pp. 262-267. Stimson and the liberals: Stimson Diary, Nov. 16, 1942, Box 41; Blum2, pp. 148-150; Freedman, p. 681. Stimson’s call to Willkie: Stimson, ibid.; Barnard, pp. 391-394. De Gaulle and the Darlan deal: Viorst, p. 124. Churchill and North African politics: Churchill4, pp. 639-640. Roosevelt’s military calculations: Langer, pp. 359-360; Sherwood, p. 651. Military losses in invasion: Howe, p. 173. Churchill on the critics: Churchill4, p. 641. Military advice to Roosevelt to deal with Darlan: Marshall to Roosevelt, n.d.; Marshall to Roosevelt, Nov. 26, 1942, both in 381 Torch, AR. Morgenthau’s complaint to Roosevelt: Blum2, pp. 150-151. Roosevelt on walking with the Devil: he quoted the saying slightly differently each time; I have used his comment to the press conference, Nov. 17, 1942, PPA, 1942, p. 479. Stalin and his proverb: Sherwood, p. 651. A later critique both of the dealings with Vichy in North Africa and of Langer’s treatment of them: Louis Gottschalk, “Our Vichy Fumble,” Journal of Modern History, March 1948, pp. 47-56. Later military developments, North Africa: Howe.

  Roosevelt: A Turning Point? Hassett on Roosevelt: Hassett, p. 145. Roosevelt on the “Star-Spangled Banner” without frills: Roosevelt to Capt. John L. McCrea, Aug. 31, 1942, PL, p. 1343. Roosevelt on second helps: Roosevelt to Eleanor Roosevelt, Oct. 7, 1942, PL, p. 1352. Roosevelt
and King: King and Whitehill, p. 412. Hyde Park diaries: Roosevelt to Mrs. Theodore Douglas Robinson, Nov. 19, 1942, PL, pp. 1368-1369. Dining with Ickes: Roosevelt to Ickes, Dec. 4, 1942, PL, p. 1376. Coffeeless breakfasts: Roosevelt to Fred Allen, Dec. 28, 1942, PPF 8275. Roosevelt’s French: Grace Tully to Herbert Bayard Swope, Dec. 1, 1942, PL, pp. 1374-1375 (the memorandum was obviously written by Roosevelt himself). Eleanor Roosevelt’s planned trip to Great Britain: Roosevelt to Eleanor Roosevelt, Oct. 16, 1942, PL, pp. 1353-1355. Roosevelt at Thanksgiving service: Lilienthal, pp. 562-563. Roosevelt on the second front: Roosevelt to Josephus Daniels, Nov. 10, 1942, PL, pp. 1362-1363. George Fielding Eliot on Roosevelt as strategist: Time, Dec. 7, 1942, p. 21. Lilienthal at the White House: Lilienthal, pp. 566, 570-572. New Year’s Eve gathering: Sherwood, p. 665; Rosenman, p. 365.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Roosevelt on telling off Congress: Lilienthal, p. 571. Preparing message to Congress: Rosenman, p. 366. Public opinion favoring conciliation: Cantril Notebook I, pp. 90-96. The address, Jan. 7, 1943: PPA, 1943, pp. 21-34. Roosevelt and Clare Boothe Luce: PL, pp. 1390-1391. Roosevelt to McCormack, n.d.: PL, p. 1389. Roosevelt and Henry Luce: Roosevelt to Welles, Dec. 28, 1942, 811.917 Time/128, SD.

  The Gaming Board of Strategy. Quotation from President’s 1943 message to Congress, Jan. 7, 1943: PPA, 1943, p. 22. Hitler on leaving the Volga: quoted in Shirer, p. 1210. On Hitler’s strategic situation: Higgins; Warlimont; Trevor-Roper; Shirer. Atlantic sinkings: Roosevelt to Marshall and to King, March 18, 1943, PMRP, Naval Aide’s File, Box 31. Stalin to Churchill on suspension of convoys: Correspondence1, p. 72. Stalin’s public questioning of second-front absence: Stalin, pp. 61, 64; Werth, p. 491. Stalin on war progress in Africa: Correspondence1, p. 75; Werth, p. 491. Stalin on “basic blows”: quoted in Higgins, p. 149, from Raymond Garthoff, Soviet Military Doctrine (Glencoe, 111.: The Free Press, 1953), p. 130. Brooke on Stalin as strategist: Bryan2, pp. 460-465; see also Churchill4, p. 582. Churchill on plans for after Africa: Churchill4, pp. 649-650. Churchill on Europe: Churchill4, p. 562.

  Roosevelt’s lack of strategic commitment: Roosevelt to Churchill, Nov. 11, 1942, 740.0011 EW 1939/25495 1/3 CF, SD. Churchill’s awareness that TORCH precluded ROUNDUP in 1943: Churchill4, pp. 648, 656. (I am using ROUNDUP here to include the build-up—BOLERO—as well as the actual cross-channel attack.) Issue of Allied planes for Caucasus: Correspondence2, pp. 36 (Roosevelt to Stalin, Oct. 9, 1942), 44 (Roosevelt to Stalin, Dec. 16, 1942), 45 (Stalin to Roosevelt, Dec. 18, 1942); see also Matloff, pp. 329-346. Actual, compared with planned, distribution of American military strength, end of 1942: Matloff, pp. 357-360; see also Maisky, pp. 352-353. Planning for Big Three or Big Two conference: Churchill4, pp. 662-665 (Roosevelt to Churchill, Nov. 26, 1942; Churchill to Roosevelt, Nov. 26, 1942; Roosevelt to Churchill, Dec. 3, 1942; Churchill to Roosevelt, Dec. 3, 1942); Correspondence2, pp. 42-45 (Roosevelt to Stalin, Dec. 2, 1942; Stalin to Roosevelt, Dec. 6, 1942; Roosevelt to Stalin, Dec. 8, 1942; Stalin to Roosevelt, Dec. 14, 1942). Churchill and second front: Maisky, pp. 351-353. Preparations for Casablanca Conference: Stimson Diary, Jan. 7, 1943; Churchill4, p. 671; Matloff, pp. 376, 379-380. On specific aspects of cross-channel, see Harrison, pp. 32-38. Roosevelt’s continued indecision: Sherwood, p. 671; Churchill4, p. 664; Matloff, p. 363.

  Toward the Underbelly? Roosevelt’s trip to Casablanca: Sherwood, pp. 671-674; Roosevelt to Eleanor Roosevelt, Jan. 13, 1943, PL, p. 1393; Elliott Roosevelt, p. 75; Reilly, chap. 14. Roosevelt at Casablanca: Elliott Roosevelt, p. 66; PL, pp. 1393-1394; Reilly, pp. 149-151; and works cited below. Military conferences at Casablanca: Matloff, pp. 19-36; King and Whitehall, pp. 416-417; Bryant2, p. 446. Churchill’s instructions to the British military chiefs: Bryant2, p. 445. Roosevelt-Churchill conferences: Sherwood, pp. 674-675; Churchill4, p. 676; Eisenhower, p. 163; Bryant2, pp. 454, 458-459 Eisenhower’s appointment: Sherwood, pp. 677-678; Bryant2, pp. 454-455; Ismay, pp. 288-289.

  French politics and personalities at Casablanca: Sherwood, pp. 675-686; Churchill4, pp. 680-682; Macmillan, pp. 255-256; de Gaulle, chap. 3; Eden, p. 363. Roosevelt’s conference with de Gaulle: Reilly, pp. 157-158; Sherwood, p. 685. Roosevelt’s and Churchill’s personal feeling about de Gaulle: Churchill4, p. 682. Roosevelt and Giraud’s documents: Arthur Layton Funk, “The ‘Anfa’ Memorandum: An Incident of the Casablanca Conference,” Journal of Modern History, No. 3, September 1954, pp. 246-254, and documents cited therein; see also Macmillan, pp. 256-260; Stimson Diary, Feb. 3, 1943. Roosevelt’s seeming lightheartedness at Casablanca: Macmillan, p. 259; Murphy, p. 165; Eisenhower, p. 161; Elliott Roosevelt, chap. 4; Stimson Diary, Feb. 3, 1943. President’s trip to Rabat: Elliott Roosevelt, pp. 105-107; PPA, 1943, pp. 45-47, 61-62; Reilly, p. 160; PPA, 1943, pp. 57-58. Roosevelt’s dinner party for the Sultan: Murphy, pp. 172-173; Macmillan, pp. 250-251; Elliott Roosevelt, pp. 109-112. “Reconciliation” of Giraud and de Gaulle: Macmillan, p. 253; Moran, p. 89; PPA, 1943, p. 84; Sherwood, pp. 693-694; these accounts differ in minor details. Announcement of unconditional surrender: PPA, 1943, p. 39; Sherwood, p. 696; Churchill4, pp. 686-687; see also Macmillan, pp. 263-264; Ismay, p. 290; cf. Deborin, pp. 296-297. Early staff work on unconditional surrender: Department of State, Postwar Foreign Policy Preparation, Dept. of State Publication 3580, General Foreign Policy Series 15, 1950, p. 127. Roosevelt’s and Churchill’s trip to Marrakesh: Churchill4, pp. 694-695; Moran, p. 90.

  The First Kill. Roosevelt’s return trip to the United States: PC 876, Feb. 2, 1943; PPA, 1943, pp. 55-62; Roosevelt to Eleanor Roosevelt, Jan. 29, 1943, PL, p. 1395. Roosevelt-Churchill message to Stalin: Correspondence2, pp. 51-52 (message received Jan. 27, 1943). Stalin’s reception of message: Feis3, p. 114; William H. Standley and Arthur A. Ageton, Admiral Ambassador to Russia (Chicago: Regnery, 1955), p. 327. Further exchanges: Correspondence2, pp. 54-55, 55-56, 56-57. Battle of Tunisia: Howe, chaps. 20-24; Churchill4, p. 764. American defeat: Martin Blumenson, Kasserine Pass (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1967). Further Stalin-Roosevelt-Churchill exchanges: Correspondence1, pp. 99-102, 105-106; Correspondence2, pp. 58-59.

  Roosevelt to Churchill on informing Stalin about suspension of convoys: Churchill4, pp. 752-753. Churchill to Stalin: Correspondence1, pp. 110-111. Stalin’s answer: Correspondence1, p. 112. Linking of Eighth Army and American troops: Churchill4, p. 771. Shift of II Corps north: Eisenhower, p. 177; Howe, Pt. 6. Churchill on results of Tunisia: Churchill4, p. 780; on “scrunch and punch”: Nicolson, p. 291. Hitler on his African strategy: quoted in Warlimont, p. 314. Stalin’s congratulations on Tunisia: Stalin to Churchill, April 12, 1943, Correspondence1, p. 117; Stalin to Roosevelt, May 8, 1943, Correspondence2, p. 64.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  William Allen White on Roosevelt: quoted from Emporia Gazette in Time, Feb. 22, 1943, p. 53; March 8, 1943, p. 12. Vandenberg on White House-Congress liaison: Vandenberg, p. 33.

  Emergency Management. Establishment of Office for Emergency Management: PPA, 1940, pp. 624-625. War production: The United States at War, chaps. 5-7; Clapper Papers, Cont. 23, Dec. 31, 1942, LC; PPA, 1943, p. 26; Roosevelt to Beaverbrook, March 24, 1943, PL, p. 1416; Baruch to Roosevelt, PPF 88, May 10, 1943; see also Industrial Mobilization for War, pp. 604-608. Manpower: The United States at War, pp. 431-432; Harold Smith memoranda, Nov. 23, 1942, Dec. 4, 1942, and Roosevelt to Smith, Nov. 19, 1942, Smith Diary, FDRL; Hassett, p. 160. Labor developments: Roosevelt to Mackenzie King, Nov. 1, 1943, PL, p. 1462. John L. Lewis: Saul Alinsky, John L. Lewis (Putnam, 1949); James A. Wechsler, Labor Baron (Morrow, 1944). Roosevelt’s response: Byrnes, p. 180; Rosenman, p. 380; PPA, 1943, pp. 190-197; extensive material in OF 407-B, Box 29; see especially Ickes to Roosevelt, July 9, 1943, July 17, 1943; Roosevelt to Ickes, July 11, 1943; Biddle to Roosevelt, July 11, 1943. Attitudes of coal miners: Cantril to Lubin, “How the Miners Feel,” March 21, 1943; Cantril Notebook II. Byrnes’s birthday celebration: Byrnes, p. 181. Stars and Stripes editorial: Kirk to Hull, June 16, 1943, with text, OF 407-B. Drafting of miners: Roosevelt to Stimson et al., June 21, 1943, Sti
mson Diary; Roosevelt to Davis, Nov. 8, 1943, and earlier draft proposals by Byrnes, OF 407-B. Railroad labor troubles: OF 407-B and OF 4451; see, especially, Leiserson to Roosevelt, June 29, 1943, Oct. 13, 1943; Vinson to Roosevelt, July 5, 1943, Dec. 20, 1943; Byrnes to Roosevelt, Oct. 21, 1943; see also Byrnes, pp. 198-202. Marshall’s threat to resign: Byrnes, p. 201; his biographer, Forrest Pogue, is dubious about this report.

  Senate subcommittee report on production: Senate Committee on Military Affairs, “Report of Subcommittee on War Mobilization,” 78th Congress, 1st Session, May 13, 1943. Baruch’s near-appointment: Baruch, pp. 314, 318; Byrnes, p. 174; Sherwood, p. 700; Rosenman to Roosevelt, May 24, 1943, PSF, Rosenman; Stimson Diary, Feb. 16, 1943, Feb. 22, 1943; Cox Diary, June 6, 1943, FDRL. Roosevelt’s veto of Bankhead bill, April 2, 1943: PPA, 1943, pp. 135-142; Byrnes, pp. 177-178. Jones-Wallace imbroglio: Byrnes, pp. 192-194; The United States at War, pp. 421-425; Smith to Roosevelt, Feb. 6, 1943, March 3, 1943, Smith Diary, FDRL; Cox to Hopkins, July 12, 1943, Cox Diary, FDRL. For the Jones and Wallace views respectively: Timmons, chap. 28; Lord, pp. 496-514; PC 890, April 9, 1943. Roosevelt ban on public disputes: PPA, 1943, pp. 299-300. 1942 plea: White House statement, Aug. 20, 1942, 111.018/114 1/2, SD. Roosevelt on administrative rivalry as technique: Perkins, pp. 380-387. Roosevelt on conflicting recommendations: Smith to Roosevelt, Nov. 8, 1943, quoting Roosevelt memorandum of Sept. 14, 1942, Smith Diary, FDRL.