Before Churchill 's premiership , President Roosevelt had secretively been in frequent correspondence with him . Their correspondence had begun in September 1939 , at the very start of World War II . In these private communications , the two had been discussing ways in which the US might support Britain in their war effort . However , at the time when Winston Churchill assumed the office of Prime Minister , Roosevelt was nearing the end of his second term and making considerations of seeking election to an unprecedented third term ( he would make no public pronouncements about this until the Democratic National Convention that year ) . From the American experience during the First World War , Roosevelt judged that involvement in the Second World War was likely to be an inevitability . This was a key reason for Roosevelt 's decision to break from tradition and seek a third term . Roosevelt desired to be President when the US would finally be drawn into entering the conflict . However , in order to win a third term , Roosevelt made the American people promises that he would keep them out of the war
the Democratic National Convention that year
1940 Democratic National Convention
Special Relationship