Historical leaders: Roosevelt, Eisenhower and Churchill
Historical leaders... hear
the words that changed the world. Listen and feel the emotion as
President Franklin D Roosevelt delivers his Day of Infamy
address. Feel Winston Churchill's confidence as he rallies a
country against the powerful Nazi war machine...
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
PLAY AUDIO
On December 8,
1941, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appeared
before a joint session of Congress and asked for an official
declaration of war against Japan. The previous day, Japan
had launched a surprise attack against Pearl Harbor. Losses were
devastating: Thousands of Americans were killed and wounded. In
launching the surprise offensive, Japanese military command hoped that, in addition to disabling the U.S. naval fleet,
the attack would depress American morale and push the
isolationist U.S. deeper into a strictly defensive role in World
War II. However, Pearl Harbor had the opposite effect.
Overnight, American society rallied behind President
Roosevelt...
Dwight D. Eisenhower
PLAY AUDIO
Dwight D. Eisenhower
- D-Day Address June 6, 1944
Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of
the Allied Expeditionary Forces: You are about to embark upon
the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many
months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and
prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In
company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other
Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war
machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over oppressed peoples
of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well
trained, well equipped and battle-hardened...
Winston Churchill
PLAY AUDIO
Winston Churchill
- This was their finest hour (1940)
You will hear Churchill
delicately urging the U.S. get more
involved, before all as we know it, ceases to exist...
"Their finest hour."
In the summer of 1940, the democracies of continental Europe
fell to Germany one by one, leaving Great Britain alone in its
resistance to Adolf Hitler. The Nazi leader was confident that
victory against Britain would come soon, but Churchill
prophesied otherwise, telling his countrymen that the Battle of
Britain would be...
Historical leaders
