This work is focused on explaining observed fatigue crack initiation behavior in notched members in terms of the stress state in a finite volume at the notch root. In principle, this is no different than the work of several other researchers. What is different is the manner in which the stress fields were predicted; namely using the finite element method. By using this approach, no approximations were necessary as to the form of the stress field at the notch root. This implies that this approach is extendable to complex geometries and to the finite life regime where plastic flow is expected at the notch root.