The American military was virtuall non-existent, except for the U.S. Navy when Hitler launched World war II. It was so small that Hitler believed he could conquer Europe before America coukd create a sizeable Army and deploy it into the European theater. And he was in fact correct at the time. The U.S. Army was not only minisucle, but it was not armed with modern weapons. The United states did not even have a modern tank. The Japanese 2 years later made the same calculation. The Japanese somehow thought that their advantges achieved while their industry worked full time building military weaoons while American factories turned out cars and refrigerators would be unaffected once American entered the War. And many Japnese were convinced that America did not have the will to fight. Some like Admiral Yamamoto knew that the Jpanese advtage would be fleeting, but even American mikitary planners were astonished by the rate wuth which ameruca girded for War. Not only did the United States build a 12-million man military, but America became in fact the arsenal for democracy, equipping not only its own military, but that of its allies as well. Not only did the United States field a large army, but the Navy and Air Firces dwarfed the forces of its Axis adversaries. The Axis Alliance was designed to disuade the United States from waging a two-fromt war. As it worked out,it ws Germany nd Japan were bogged don in two-front ars. Most of the Japanese Army was committd in China and most of the vGermany Army was bogged down in the Soviet Union. While the United States looked in 1939 like a non-consequential military power, the rapid mobilization of manpower and speedy conversion of industry turned te United Srates into a formidable military powerhouse.

Sevices

The American military was virtuall non-existent, except for the U.S. Navy when Hitler launched World war II (September 1039). It was so small that Hitler believed he could disregard th United States in his calculatuions. His plan was to conquer Europe before America could create a sizeable Army and deploy it into the European theater. And he was in fact correct at the time. The U.S. Army was not only minisucle, but it was not armed with modern weapons. The United states did not even have a modern tank. The Japanese 2 years later made the same calculation. The Japanese somehow thought that their advantges achieved while their industry worked full time building military weaoons and American factories turned out cars and refrigerators would be unaffected once American entered the War. And many Japnese were convinced that America did not have the will to fight. Some like Admiral Yamamoto knew that the Jpanese advtage would be fleeting, but even American mikitary planners were astonished by the rate wuth which ameruca girded for War. Not only did the United States build a 12-million man military, Not only did the United States field a large army, but the Navy and Air Firces dwarfed the forces of its Axis adversaries. The Axis Alliance was designed to disuade the United States from waging a two-fromt war. As it worked out,it ws Germany nd Japan were bogged don in two-front ars. Most of the Japanese Army was committd in China and most of the vGermany Army was bogged down in the Soviet Union. While the United States looked in 1939 like a non-consequential military power, the rapid mobilization of manpower and speedy conversion of industry turned te United Srates into a formidable military powerhouse.

Arsenalof Democracy

but America became in fact the arsenal for democracy, equipping not only its own military, but that of its allies as well. President Roosevelt first used the term "Arsenal of Denocracy" on December 29, 1940 in one of his Fireside Chats, radio boradcasts, to the American people. He expalined the importance of supplying the people of Europe, at the time primarily Britain with the "implements of war". He said that the United States "must be the great arsenal of democracy". The very day he spoke, a Luftwaffe raid on London severly damaged famous buildings and churches in the city center and engulfed St. Paul's Cathedral in flames. [Gilbert, p. 356.] Hitler feared America more than any other country, but was convinced that Britain could be defeated before America could be mobilized or American industry could be effevtiverly harnassed for the war effort. Neither the NAZIs or the Japanese had any idea just how effectibely American production could be converted to war production. Air Marshall Goering sneared. "The Americans only know how to make razor blades." Four years later with the Luftwaffe in tatters, Goering said he knew that the War was lost when American P-51 Mustangs appeared over Berlin escoring waves of bombers. The record of American war production is staggering and in large measure determined the outcome of the War.

Created: 4:39 PM 6/3/2012
Last updated: 6:45 PM 3/14/2016