Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Annotated Bibliography Example

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Order No. 661316 Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882 – 1945) was the 32nd President of the United s of America who served a term of office from 4th March 1933 to 12 April 1945. He was born at Hyde Park, New York on 30th January 1882 and married Eleanor Roosevelt. Roosevelt was one of the primary figures in history during the 20th century and was the only person to be elected President twice during his tenure. Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s profession belonged to the field of politics and he became the leader of the Democratic Political Party. His exceptional leadership qualities gained him a respectable niche to lead the forces of reforms for his country and that too at a critical time when the United States underwent the misfortunate period of the Great Depression. His inspirational leadership was instrumental in helping his country recover from the political onslaught and rise from the ashes once again. Fondly known as FDR to the public, Roosevelt strived hard to bring about stability to the nation by introducing innovative reforms and programs. However, his leadership philosophy came in for a lot of criticisms by many historians. While some of them believed him to possess outstanding leadership qualities, there were others who debated that by arguing that the economic policies laid down by him only served to slow down the process of recovery and progress. Theodore Roosevelt who was Franklin Roosevelt’s cousin made a great impact on him when he became President in 1903. Theodore’s great reforms and his spectacular style of leadership left a lasting impression in the life of Franklin and this is what served as a moulding factor for his own philosophy of leadership. After attending the Columbia Law School, he took up jobs in different capacities such as working for Wall Street that mainly dealt with Corporate Law. However, after Woodrow Wilson got elected in 1912 as President, Franklin was given the post of Assistant Secretary of the Navy. This post also served to influence Franklin’s leadership philosophy to a great extent and this influence is seen reflected in the many reforms that he brought about in the Navy. Roosevelt campaigned extensively to expand the Navy since he was well aware of the opposition faced by them from the Pacifists. To counter this opposition he set up a Navy Reserve which comprised of a group of trained men who would be very useful especially during war time and other crisises. Roosevelt’s particular philosophy of leadership lay in the fact of good communication and maintaining good relations with others by negotiating dealings in a very peaceful manner. His philosophy led him to become a very ardent supporter of President Woodrow Wilson’s ‘League of Nations’ whose focus was to put an end to wars in the future. His philosophical ideas, outstanding leadership and unfailing support, not only made him popular but also served to make him one of Wilson’s favourites and therefore during the 1920 Democratic National Convention he was chosen to be candidate for Vice President of the United States. Roosevelt’s leadership qualities were directed towards specific values and objectives because he always envisioned the future to be progressive as well as peaceful. His assumption was that wars are not only bad but also regressive for a country. In Roosevelt’s own words – “I call for effort, courage, sacrifice, devotion. Granting the love of freedom, all of these are possible. And the love of freedom is still fierce and steady in the nation today.” (Roosevelt, 1940) From the following lines we can understand that Roosevelt valued the freedom of his countrymen and this was his primary objective all through his 12 year tenure as President of the United States. He was steadfast in his principles, values and objectives and strived hard to guide America through both domestic and foreign crisises they encountered. The times in which Roosevelt lived and became President was very difficult because it was the time of the Great Depression and World War II. Even though America was in shambles, he did not lose heart but instead bravely guided the country by introducing many new reforms for the betterment of his country. However, his leadership style came in for a lot of criticisms from all quarters, but yet it did not deter him from making his country rise out of the ashes once again and become one of the most powerful nations to reckon with. During the turbulent times, he was pitted against all odds, but he never lost courage to steer his country out of the dangerous quagmire and restore it to its former glory. Franklin Roosevelt is rightly considered to be one of the greatest Presidents of the United States of America. His leadership style had a lasting impact on the American society. He helped a nation mired in economic depression to rise against all odds and become a force to reckon with in the world. His social programs redefined the role of the government in the social fabric of America. His critics were apprehensive about the consolidation of power in the White House. It was believed that Roosevelt was heading towards dictatorship. These fears were negated as the powerful wartime agencies were dissolved after the war. Fascism during the tenure of Roosevelt connoted to centralization of power and he had been accused by many to be a Fascist. It was he who demonstrated to the world that the White House could radiate power. He has often been considered as a man without principles. He has been credited with leading the nation to accepting the responsibilities of war. As a wartime president he had a wide spectrum to exhibit his own leadership qualities which helped him earn a place of pride in the annals of American history. He relished his position as Commander-in Chief. He regarded the presidential office not as a place of administration but of moral leadership. Franklin Roosevelt was an effective leader who disarmed even his opponents. He believed in the duty of the government to seek social justice for all irrespective of class. Love him or hate him, there is no denying the fact Franklin Delano Roosevelt was an effective leader who helped steer the American society towards prosperity and pride. He was instrumental in raising the esteem of the people of his country. He had all the qualities of a leader which helped him to connect with people. He was a confident man with a strong character devoted to the service of his countrymen. He saw a place for the United States of America at the helm of world affairs and he was fortunate enough to have the luck to translate his vision into reality. The policies and visions of Franklin Roosevelt were instrumental in making possible the American Century. His style of functioning had an indelible impact upon the workings of subsequent Presidents. His contribution brought about structural changes which helped in the rise of the country as a formidable nation which was very prosperous. Roosevelt was riddled with certain shortcomings. His loyalties were more with his party than with his country. He was first and foremost a party man and then a patriot. Some economists also fault his policies in relation to the Great Depression which they found did little to alleviate the situation. As President he understood the importance of effective communication and was adept in doing so. He was a master at consensus building and used mass communication to influence the citizens. All in all he was an effective leader who was present at the right place at the right time. Roosevelt’s leadership qualities are unparalleled both in length and in scope in the pages of History. He is one of those Presidents who instilled faith in his countrymen by taking prompt action to salvage the situation especially during the Great Depression and the War. His famous quote was – “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” (Roosevelt, 1945) In order to regulate the economy of the country, Roosevelt introduced new reform programs like the New Deal and Social Security by which heavier taxes were laid on the wealthy sector of people. His introduction of a work relief program for those that were not employed and control over public utilities and banks initiated people to have more faith and trust in him. He served to strengthen his nation at all costs but at the same time encouraged them to follow the “good neighbour policy’ in order to keep out of war. To sustain such a policy he had founded the United Nations because he hoped that all international problems could be settled peacefully instead of going to war. There is indeed no doubt that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was one of the best and most respected Presidents of the United States. However, it was rather unfortunate that at the young age of 39 years, he was afflicted with poliomyelitis and this gradually led to his death on April 12th, 1945 at Warm Springs, Georgia. References American President: Franklin Delano Roosevelt www.millercenter.org/president/fdroosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt – Presidents of the United States www.ipl.org/div/potus/fdroosevelt.html Franklin D. Roosevelt: The White House www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/franklindroosevelt Franklin Roosevelt as a Leader – Hauenstein Center for Presidential…. www.gvsu.edu/hauenstein/index.cfm?id=5F79D8E9-02B9-0869 The Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/fdryears.htm . 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