History That Doesn't Suck 190: An Epilogue to US Pre-WW2 Turn from Isolationism to Interventionism and the Influential Americans in London Who Brokered the FDR-Churchill Bromance
Oct 13, 2025
Join Lindsay Cormack, an expert in political science, and historian Lynn Olson as they explore the critical yet underappreciated Americans influencing wartime diplomacy from London. They delve into the transformative relationships forged between FDR and Churchill, highlighting figures like Edward R. Murrow, whose compelling broadcasts during the Blitz changed public perception. Olson emphasizes how these unsung heroes negotiated complex political landscapes, shaping U.S. interventionist policy while countering isolationism and skepticism on both sides of the Atlantic.
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Why America Stayed Out Early On
- Isolationism was rooted in geography, economics, and fresh trauma from World War I which kept Americans inward-focused.
- Oceans and domestic crises made foreign threats feel distant until technology and changing geopolitics reduced that separation.
Versailles Set The Stage
- The Treaty of Versailles created political and economic resentments that made future conflict far more likely.
- Harsh postwar settlements and 'psychological losers' like Italy seeded fertile ground for fascist movements.
Fascism's Shape And Flexibility
- Fascism resists neat ideological definition and is better understood by its glorification of violence and prioritization of the state over individuals.
- Its economic flexibility lets regimes adopt whichever policies serve state goals, confusing observers.
