THE WHITE HOUSE
Washington, D.C.
T O P S E C R E T – E Y E S O N L Y
EXECUTIVE ORDER
Date: December 7, 1941
To Members of the Cabinet and Secretaries of the Army and Navy
From: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Commander-in-Chief
Subject: Japanese Empire Attack on Pearl Harbor
As you are keenly aware, the Empire of Japan attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii Territory earlier this morning, killing and injuring thousands of American soldiers and sailors as well as numerous civilians; however, the casualties continue to be counted at this point but I will keep you apprised of any new developments. In sum, much of the U.S. Pacific Fleet has been devastated, with many ships sank outright or seriously damaged. The attack did spare our now-priceless aircraft carriers which happened to be at sea when the attack occurred. The sneak attack by Japan has been confirmed by numerous official U.S. and allied sources and the reports are regarded as completely credible at this point. In other words, gentlemen, we are at war for all intents and purposes, lacking only a formal declaration by the U.S. Congress.
Let me be absolutely clear from the outset on this matter. It is my unwavering and absolute intention that the United States will win this war against Japan and any other nations that would threaten our democracy through to absolute victory, and let no one, friend or foe, turn us aside from this ultimate objective. Although we have experienced serious and meaningful debate in recent months concerning whether the United States should...
References
Hopkins, J. (2014, Fall). The Hopkins touch: Harry Hopkins and the forging of the Alliance to defeat Hitler. The Historian, 76(3), 603-605.
Kaplan, M. A. (2000, October). Why Roosevelt wanted Japan to attack Pearl Harbor. The World and I, 15(10, 288.
McInerney, T. J. (2012, Winter). FDR goes to war: How expanded executive power, spiraling national debt, and restricted civil liberties shaped wartime America. The Historian, 74(4), 831-835.
Okerstrom, D. R. (2017, Summer). Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the raid that avenged Pearl Harbor. The Historian, 79(2), 353-355.
Rearden, S. L. (2012). Council of war: A history of the joint chiefs of staff. Washington, DC: Office of the Director, Joints Chiefs of Staff.
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