Chapters 6-7 Summary and Analysis

America entered a period of isolationism after World War I. When Nazism began to spread across Europe, men like William Stimson urged the country to rearm and come out of isolationism. At the age of seventy-three, he became Roosevelt's Secretary of War. He summoned McCloy to work for him on German espionage.

In May 1940, Lovett was on the last of his European tours for Brown Brothers. At this time, Acheson also opposed isolationism and worked to implement Roosevelt's Lend Lease program. Acheson became the Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs for Hull.

Harriman accepted a position as transportation adviser to the National Defense Advisory Commission at a token salary of one dollar a year. He was sent to London to ascertain how the United States could help Britain. While he was there, the Japanese attacked on Pearl Harbor...