Yet Roosevelt’s speech in Chicago ended up laying out the ideological basis for a revolution in U.S. strategic thought. That day, Roosevelt started to weave together the ideas of social economic welfare and national self-defense into the new doctrine that would soon be known as “national security.”

On Oct. 5, 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered one of the most memorable foreign policy speeches in U.S. history. He hadn’t planned to use his time in Chicago to talk about world crisis. He was actually there to dedicate the opening of a new bridge over the Chicago River that connected the northern and southern halves of Outer Drive (later known as Lake Shore Drive) for the first time. And for the people of Chicago, the opening of the Outer Link Bridge was a much bigger deal than war brewing abroad.

On Oct. 5, 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered one of the most memorable foreign policy speeches in U.S. history. He hadn’t planned to use his time in Chicago to talk about world crisis. He was actually there to dedicate the opening of a new bridge over the Chicago River that connected the northern and southern halves of Outer Drive (later known as Lake Shore Drive) for the first time. And for the people of Chicago, the opening of the Outer Link Bridge was a much bigger deal than war brewing abroad. Total Defense book cover

Yet Roosevelt’s speech in Chicago ended up laying out the ideological basis for a revolution in U.S.