December 11 1941 Message Congress Requesting War Declarations

### About this speech Franklin D. Roosevelt December 11, 1941 Source National Archives President Roosevelt requests for Congress to declare a state of war on both Germany and Italy following their declarations of war against the United States. The United States became involved in a true world war, fighting multiple countries on multiple continents. [Presidential Speeches](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches) | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidency ## December 11, 1941: Message to Congress Requesting War Declarations with Germany and Italy ### Transcript To the Congress: On the morning of December eleventh, the Government of Germany, pursuing its course of world conquest, declared war against the United States. The long known and the long expected has thus taken place. The forces endeavoring to enslave the entire world now are moving toward this hemisphere. Never before has there been a greater challenge to life, liberty, and civilization. Delay invites greater danger. Rapid and united effort by all of the peoples of the world who are determined to remain free will insure a world victory of the forces of justice and of righteousness over the forces of savagery and of barbarism. Italy also has declared war against the United States. I therefore request the Congress to recognize a state of war between the United States and Germany, and between the United States and Italy. Previous [December 9, 1941: Fireside Chat 19: On the War with Japan](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/dece
mber-9-1941-fireside-chat-19-war-japan) Next [February 23, 1942: Fireside Chat 20: On the Progress of the War](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/february-23-1942-fireside-chat-20-progress-war) ### More Franklin D. Roosevelt speeches [View all Franklin D. Roosevelt speeches](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches?field_president_target_id\[31\]=31) [February 23, 1942: Fireside Chat 20: On the Progress of the War](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/february-23-1942-fireside-chat-20-progress-war) audio icon transcript icon [April 28, 1942: Fireside Chat 21: On Sacrifice](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/april-28-1942-fireside-chat-21-sacrifice) audio icon transcript icon [September 7, 1942: Fireside Chat 22: On Inflation and Food Prices](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/september-7-1942-fireside-chat-22-inflation-and-food-prices) audio icon transcript icon [October 12, 1942: Fireside Chat 23: On the Home Front](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/october-12-1942-fireside-chat-23-home-front) audio icon transcript icon [January 7, 1943: State of the Union Address](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/january-7-1943-state-union-address) audio icon transcript icon [May 2, 1943: Fireside Chat 24: On the Coal Crisis](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/may-2-1943-fireside-chat-24-coal-crisis) audio icon transcript icon [July 28, 1943: Fireside Chat 25: On the Fall of Mussolini](/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/july-28-1943-fireside-chat-25-fall-mussolini) aud
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