Franklin D. Roosevelt Essays (3391 words) - Delano Family

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt is among the most remembered U.S. Presidents. Serving as President for more than twelve years, he was the only President to be elected four times. Roosevelt led the United States through its worst depression and its worst war. He tried his best to stay optimistic with our country and the decisions he made. In Roosevelt's first inaugural address, he asked for faith in America's future. He told the country, The only thing we have to fear is fear itself (Burns 1970, p. 238). That is the lesson that he taught our country to live by. Franklin was born on January 30, 1882, in Hyde Park, New York. He was the only child of James and Sara Roosevelt. Born into a very wealthy family, he grew up on his father's estate called Springwood. Being an only child, his parents adored him, but brought him up with a loving firmness. His father taught him that being wealthy also brought with it the responsibility of helping people who were not so lucky (Johnson 1967, p. 38). Franklin D. Roosevelt was always a very smart and educated young man. Growing up, Franklin's parents took him on many trips to Europe, where he studied and learned how to speak many different languages. He graduated from Harvard University in 1903 and then went on to get a degree from Columbia University Law School. But he never seemed to show an interest with doing legal work. In 1905, he married his distant cousin, Eleanor Roosevelt, whom he had been courting for some years before that. Franklin and Eleanor had six children together. Franklin took much pride and companionship in them. It wasn't until this time that Franklin decided to get involved with politics. In 1910, Roosevelt accepted an invitation from state Democratic leaders to run for the New York Senate. This was going to be a difficult task for Franklin because Republicans had controlled his district for over fifty years. But he was determined to do it. Roosevelt wanted a clean government and strongly opposed big city officials. With those requests, that was all he needed to win the election. Franklin became a state senator at the age of 29, and from then on, he was known as a very bold and skillful political fighter (Abbott 1990, p. 103). In 1913, President Wilson appointed him as assistant secretary of the Navy. This was the perfect job for FDR, as he said, I now find my vocation combined with my avocation in a delightful way. Politics being my 'vocation' and ships and naval history being my hobby or avocation' (Abbott 1990, p. 104). This job taught him, not only a lot about national politics, but especially about ways to get along with Congress. In 1914, Roosevelt ran for the D emocratic nomination as a candidate for the U.S. Senate, but lost by a large margin. He wanted to enter the military service in 1917, when the U.S. was involved in World War I, but was convinced instead to visit the battlefields and meet with military leaders overseas. This is how he became a national figure to the world. In the 192, Roosevelt was nominated for Vice-President under James M. Cox, who together, called for a campaign concerning U.S. membership in the League of Nations. They ended up getting defeated by Coolidge, though. This defeat did not really harm Roosevelt. By that time, he was already a well-established leader among the Democrats. Life seemed to be going all too well for FDR and his family until tragedy struck. In August 1921, Roosevelt fell into the water while sailing, which left him, not only partially paralyzed, but also with a severe case of polio. Many people thought that his career in politics had ended. But he continued his political activity out of his home, eventually gaining back the use of his hands, arms, and developed strong shoulders. He was determined to fight this disease with his best effort and he surely did. While doing this, he helped others do so, as well. In 1924, he established the Warm Springs Foundation, where people could go to get proper treatment for polio, even if they couldn't afford it. When he returned to politics

Roman Army - Recruitment, Legions, Siege Warfare More

Roman Army - Recruitment, Legions, Siege Warfare More The Roman army (exercitus) did not start out as the superlative fighting machine that came to dominate Europe to the Rhine, parts of Asia, and Africa. It began like the part-time Greek army, with farmers returning to their fields after a quick summer campaign. Then it changed into a professional organization with long terms of service far from home. The Roman general and 7-time consul Marius is considered responsible for the change of the Roman army into its professional form. He gave the poorest classes in Rome the opportunity to be career military, gave land to veterans, and changed the composition of the legion. Recruitment of Soldiers for the Roman Army The Roman army changed over time. The consuls had the power to recruit troops, but in the last years of the Republic, provincial governors were replacing troops without the approval of the consuls. This led to legionaries loyal to their generals rather than Rome. Before Marius, recruitment was limited to citizens enrolled in the top 5 Roman classes.  By the end of the Social War (87 B.C.) most of the free men in Italy were entitled to enlist and by the reign of Caracalla or Marcus Aurelius, it was extended to the entire Roman world. From Marius on there were between 5000 and 6200 in the legions. Legion Under Augustus The Roman army under Augustus consisted of 25 legions (according to Tacitus). Each legion consisted of about 6000 men and a large number of auxiliaries. Augustus increased the time of service from 6 to 20 years for legionaries. Auxiliaries (non-citizen natives) enlisted for 25 years. A legatus, supported by 6 military tribunes, led a legion, composed of 10 cohorts. 6 centuries made a cohort. By the time of Augustus, a century had 80 men. The leader of the century was the centurion. The senior centurion was called the primus pilus. There were also about 300 cavalry attached to a legion. Contubernium of Soldiers in the Roman Army There was one leather sleeping tent to cover a group of 8 legionaries. This smallest military group was referred to as a contubernium and the 8 men were contubernales. Each contubernium had a mule to carry the tent and two support troops. 10 such groups made up a century. Every soldier carried 2 stakes and digging tools so they could set up camp each night. There would also be slaves associated with each cohort. Military historian Jonathan Roth estimated there were 2 calones or slaves associated with each contubernium. The Size and Organization of the Roman Imperial Legion, by Jonathan Roth; Historia: Zeitschrift fà ¼r Alte Geschichte, Vol. 43, No. 3 (3rd Qtr., 1994), pp. 346-362 Legion Names Legions were numbered. Additional names indicated the place where the troops were recruited, and the name gemella or gemina meant the troops came from the merger of two other legions. Roman Army Punishments One way to ensure discipline was the system of punishments. These could be corporal (flogging, barley rations instead of wheat), pecuniary, demotion, execution, decimation, and disbandment. Decimation meant one in 10 soldiers in a cohort was killed by the rest of the men in the cohort by clubbing or stoning (bastinado or fustuarium). Disbandment was probably used for mutiny by a legion. Siege Warfare The first great siege war was waged by Camillus against the Veii. It lasted so long he instituted pay for the soldiers for the first time. Julius Caesar writes about his armys sieges of towns in Gaul. Roman soldiers built a wall surrounding the people to prevent supplies from getting in or people from getting out. Sometimes Romans were able to cut off the water supply. Romans could use a ramming device to break a hole in the city walls. They also used catapults to hurl missiles inside. The Roman Soldier De Re Militari, written in the 4th century by Flavius Vegetius Renatus, includes a description of the qualifications of the Roman soldier: Let, therefore, the youth who is to be chosen for martial tasks have observant eyes, hold his head up, have a broad chest, muscular shoulders, strong arms, long fingers, not too extended a wait measure, lean hams, and calves and feet not distended with superfluous flesh but hard and knotted with muscles. Whenever you find these marks in the recruit, do not be troubled about his height [Marius had set up 510 in Roman measurement as the minimum height]. It is more useful for soldiers to be strong and brave than big. Roman soldiers had to march at an ordinary pace of 20 Roman miles in 5 summer hours and at a fast military pace of 24 Roman miles in 5 summer hours carrying a 70-pound backpack. The soldier swore an oath of loyalty and implicit obedience to his commander. In war, a soldier who violated or failed to carry out the generals order could be punished by death, even if the action had been advantageous to the army. Sources Polybius (c. 203-120 B.C.) on the Roman MilitaryTraining Soldiers for the Roman Legion, by S. E. Stout. The Classical Journal, Vol. 16, No. 7. (Apr., 1921), pp. 423-431.Josephus on the Roman ArmyThe Antiqua Legio of Vegetius, by H. M. D. Parker. The Classical Quarterly, Vol. 26, No. 3/4. (Jul. - Oct., 1932), pp. 137-149.Roman Legionary Fortresses and the Cities of Modern Europe, by Thomas H. Watkins. Military Affairs, Vol. 47, No. 1. (Feb., 1983), pp. 15-25.Roman Strategy and Tactics from 509 to 202 B. C., by K. W. Meiklejohn. Greece Rome, Vol. 7, No. 21. (May, 1938), pp. 170-178.