Rhetorical Analysis of President Roosevelts Pearl Harbor Speech

â€Å"Yesterday, December 7th, 1941- a date which will live in infamy- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan† (1). These are the words Franklin Delano Roosevelt chose to begin his Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. FDR’s speech was a call to arms, and in his speech he expressed outrage towards Japan and confidence in inevitable triumph. The speech was a request to declare war against Japan and to bring the United States into World War II. FDR’s speech was successful in bringing the United States into World War II because FDR presented facts explaining why war needed to be declared and used righteous indignation to give the nation a sense of pride and hope by letting them know everything would be done to ensure the nation’s safety. On December 7, 1941 the U.S. naval base was subject to an attack that was one of the greatest military surprises in the history of warfare. On December 8, 1941, the day after the attack was made on Pearl Harbor by Japan, FDR delivered his speech to the Congress of the United States. He explained how the United States was suddenly attacked by the Empire of Japan. He explained how the attacks had to have been planned weeks in advance, but during that time Japan acted as if they were making peace with the United States. Roosevelt reported the damages and losses that the nation suffered due to the attacks. He explained what actions would be taken to defend the country, and what they would do to ensure this would never happen again. The purpose of his speech was to request Congress to declare war against Japan while displaying the confidence to assure the nation that event... ...made the country want to fight back, but he also used the right words to give America hope. Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation was successful because he declared war on Japan without instilling too much fear on the nation. Entering a war can put thoughts of panic or fear into people’s minds, but the President wanted the nation to know that measures needed to be taken to ensure safety. He let the nation know that a war would be declared because the attack on Pearl Harbor was deliberate, it caused severe damage, and it put our nation in grave danger. The President made his speech successful by using a combination of logic and emotions to persuade his audience. Through FDR’s speech he wanted to make it clear on why we were entering the war, and he wanted to give our nation a feeling of hope in a time when the country was in jeopardy.