What would have FDR done if the nazi thugs had breached the US embassy in 1939, in Berlin?

history | 9/12/12

[driftless2]

I’m currently reading a book about Count Ciano, Mussolini’s bro-in-law and foreign minister. He hated the Nazis but of course gleaned a lot of info from them about Hitler’s thoughts and actions. According to Ciano, Hitler didn’t think Britain and France would help Poland, and he thought the U.S. would stay out of the war. In fact, Hitler was wrong about virtually everything he thought wouldn’t happen as regards WWII. Ciano was eventually dismissed by Il Duce and later shot by a firing squad before the end of the war.

[driftless2]

I’m sorry... Ciano was Il Duce’s son-in-law, not bro-in-law.

[driftless2]

"war declared"

Factually inaccurate. We declared war on Japan Dec. 8 and three days later war on Germany. That's only because Germany first declared war on us.

[Fiji Hill]

Notice that, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, FDR declared war on Germany, NOT Japan.

On December 8, 1941, FDR asked Congress to declare war on Japan. The war with Germany and Italy came three days later when those countries declared war on the United States.

[Fiji Hill]

But the question remains, what would FDR have done if the American embassy in Berlin had been breached in 1939, by nazi brownshirt, SS, thugs.

Yes, that's an interesting question.

In April, 1939, FDR sent Hitler a rather naive telegram essentially asking him not to invade a number of territories that he listed, ranging from Ireland to Iran. Using an ironic tone of voice, Hitler read it to the Reichstag, or diet, the German legislature, which by that time consisted solely of Nazis, and they burst out laughing.

Suppose, following the speech, a mob of "angry citizens" just happened to show up at the embassy and storm it, resulting in the loss of life of American personnel. My speculation would be that FDR would have demanded an apology and an indemnity, as he did after the Panay incident of December, 1937, when Japanese air and naval forces in China sank an American warship. An inadequate response would have led to a breach in diplomatic relations and maybe even war.

[Parmy]

Great! Thank you for taking an interest.