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What was the relationship between President Franklin D. Roosevelt, architect of America’s rise to global power, and the 1936–39 Spanish Civil War, which inspired passion and sacrifice, and shaped the road to world war? While many historians have portrayed the Spanish Civil War as one of Roosevelt’s most isolationist episodes, Dominic Tierney argues that it marked the president’s first attempt to challenge fascist aggression in Europe. Drawing on newly discovered archival documents, Tierney describes the evolution of Roosevelt’s thinking about the Spanish Civil War in relation to America’s broader geopolitical interests, as well as the fierce controversy in the United States over Spanish policy. Between 1936 and 1939, Roosevelt’s perceptions of the Spanish Civil War were transformed. Initially indifferent toward which side won, FDR became an increasingly committed supporter of the leftist government. He believed that German and Italian intervention in Spain was part of a broader program of fascist aggression, and he worried that the Spanish Civil War would inspire fascist revolutions in Latin America. In response, Roosevelt tried to send food to Spain as well as illegal covert aid to the Spanish government, and to mediate a compromise solution to the civil war. However unsuccessful these initiatives proved in the end, they represented an important stage in Roosevelt’s emerging strategy to aid democracy in Europe.

Excerpt from The Struggle for Neutrality in America: An Address Delivered Before the New York Historical Society, at Their Sixty-Sixth Anniversary, December 13, 1870 You have honored me with an invitation to occupy a position which has been successively held by many of the most eminent men of your own State, and also of other States. I accept it with distrust, not less of my ability to reach the high standard attained by them, than by reason of my disuse of the habit of public speaking. It is not easy for one long obliged to school himself to the rule of saying as little as possible to be heard out of doors, to make an immediate transition, and expose with freedom all that he may think upon a given subject. Yet I confess I know of no stronger temptation that could have been offered to me to make the effort than this, as well on account of the kind feeling that appears to have prompted the call, as of the legitimate opening it affords to the indulgence of my favorite line of speculation. I purpose, therefore, without further preface, to enter at once upon my subject - to devote the brief period to which I hope to confine my draught on your attention to the consideration of a single topic in the past history of the country. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.