Tacit Alliance

Locates the immediate origins of the Anglo-American 'special relationship' in the diplomacy of Roosevelt's administrationProvides the most detailed coverage of Anglo-American relations from 1937 1939Focuses on the role of Franklin Roosevelt as the central figure in Anglo-American relations at this timeShows how Roosevelt's key speeches plot the development of his attitude towards the US's relationship with BritainConsiders the importance of economic diplomacy in Anglo-American relationsLooks at the role played by Canada in the making of the 'special relationship'In February 1938, Senator William Borah, an inveterate isolationist, accused the Roosevelt Administration of forming a 'tacit alliance' with Britain. Taking Borah's remark as its starting point, Tony McCulloch analyses Anglo-American relations from the start of Franklin D. Roosevelt's second term in January 1937 through to the outbreak of war in Europe and the revision of the US Neutrality Act in November 1939. Despite the mutual doubts afflicting the governments and public opinion on both sides of the Atlantic during these years, McCulloch argues that thanks largely to Franklin Roosevelt there was considerable progress in establishing an ideological and strategic understanding between the two democracies. This laid the foundation for the 'special relationship' so desired by Winston Churchill during and after the Second World War.