"The Fireside Chat that Roosevelt Threw Away"

Upon taking office FDR was urged by many to become a dictator. He refused. Good story about the pressures on FDR to take stronger measures.

This has an interesting relationship with a plot just after the inauguration by some powerful bankers and manufacturers for a Fascist coup against Roosevelt. The plot was exposed but dismissed by the major media and even many later historians. A congressional committee confirmed the existence of the plot but proposed no action be taken against the instigators. The mainstream media again dismissed the story.

Resources on the coup attempt. One of the better stories of General Butler and the plot and much more readable than the Wikipedia entry. A good show on DVD from the History Channel is available. A recent political essay on the plot and its relevance today.

Tags: history, Fascism, FDR, Butler, coup, DuPont, Morgan