The letter FDR should have written to Stalin

Better results were possible in World War 2

By Perry Willis

2,135 words

To: Joseph Stalin
From: Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Date: December 12, 1941

Dear Joe,

Hitler declared war on us yesterday. We now have a shared enemy. That superficially suggests we should make common cause. I am theoretically prepared to do that, but there are important issues to resolve first. Since plain talk is the most easily understood my comments below will be candid and blunt.

Our prospects

It will be some time before we can land troops in Europe, but we could start showering you with food, weapons, and raw materials almost immediately. Should we do that? There are arguments for and against. Let me list them to help us reach a decision.

The Polish Problem

The European branch of this world war began on September 1, 1939, when Hitler invaded and conquered Poland. But we should remember that Hitler did not do this alone. He had a partner.

You were that partner Joe. You invaded Poland, on September 17th. You then occupied the Eastern half of that country under a secret treaty you negotiated with…