"The dramatic events of the Pearl Harbor attack have been covered in great detail and variety. What came next - the American declaration of war, the intervention of Germany and Italy, and the U.S. declaration of war against them as well - has received less attention. This volume analyzes the public and Congress reaction to the attack and how attitudes toward war began to change." "With liberal use of excerpts from the Congressional Record of 1941, the book explores the rationales of both the interventionist minded and the anti-interventionists, as well as their efforts to forge a national consensus that would support an open-ended conflict. The reasoning behind not immediately declaring war on Germany and the motivations behind Germany's decision to enter the conflict on its own initiative are discussed. Lengthy attention is given to Jeanette Rankin, the only House member to vote against the war."--BOOK JACKET.