On this day in history: The Attack on Pearl Harbor.
The names for the wars we fight are not usually official until after we’re done fighting them, but in the case of World War II, But in 1942, Franklin Roosevelt was determined to give it an official name for the purposes of documentation, suggesting that it be called “The Survival War” in press conferences and speeches (here’s one instance: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/excerpts-from-the-press-conference-37).
He got the War Department to send out a public call for suggestions and even Gallup (then the “American Institute of Public Opinion”) conducted a poll.
When asked what names the people like best amongst those suggested, here’s how they responded:
On this day in history: The Attack on Pearl Harbor.
The names for the wars we fight are not usually official until after we’re done fighting them, but in the case of World War II, But in 1942, Franklin Roosevelt was determined to give it an official name for the purposes of documentation, suggesting that it be called “The Survival War” in press conferences and speeches (here’s one instance: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/excerpts-from-the-press-conference-37).
He got the War Department to send out a public call for suggestions and even Gallup (then the “American Institute of Public Opinion”) conducted a poll.
When asked what names the people like best amongst those suggested, here’s how they responded:
War of World Freedom: 26%
War of Freedom: 14%
War of Liberty: 13%
Anti-Dictator War: 11%
War for Humanity: 9%
Survival War: 7%
The People’s War: 6%
Anti-Nazi War: 5%
Total War: 5%
War of Liberation: 4%