Figure 1.-- Britain had the largest motor vehicle industry was the most mototrized country in Europe. Germany contrary to common thought was not a very motorized country. Notice the English family here with a modest little car about 1938 just before Hitler anbd Stalin lunched Wirld War II. They look to be part of the comortable middle-class, but hardly rich. The Germans that had cards were the well-to-do. Given that World War II was a war of movement, the automotive industry was of enormous importance. The British rmy wa thde inmly fully mdchaniozed armhy of the outset of World War IIm but sid not have have the Blitzkrieg doctrine. The German Army was largely on foot with horse=-drawn carts, but a reltivly small motiruzed force--the Panzers. This worked well as long s the Germans were invadung modtly small neigboing countries. This all went south fast after Hitler sent the Ostheer storming into the Soviet Union on foot with horse-drawn carts.

The automobile was to have its greatest social and economic impact on the United States. No mechanical device affected American culture more than the automobile. Much of the growth in the American economy after the turn of the 20th century was centered on the new automobile. The American economy by the 1920s was to a large extent centered on the automobile. It was the industry centered on the automobile and trucks that provided the back bone for the arsenal of democracy that helped defeat the NAZIs and Japanese militarists in World War II. It would also play a major role in the West's Cold War victory. It was in Europe, however, that the autiomobile first appeared. Here the leaders were at first France and Germany, but England would eclipse both as Europe moved toward another world war. But only in America did te automobile become a huge part of the national economy. One auto expert cuts to the quick as the motor vehicle industries around the world moved into the 20th century. "The central problem of automotive technology over the first decade of the 20th century would be reconciling the advanced design of the 1901 German Mercedes with the moderate price and low operating expenses of the American Olds. This result would be an overwhelmingly an American achievement. And in large measure the outcome of the 20th century would turn. Germany would lose its two attempts to dominate Europe because it failed to recognize the strategic imoprtance of the automobiole industry and restricted or ignored free market operations driving efficenies. Henry Ford produced the Model-T Tin Lizzie (1908). It was not a luxury car made in a craft shop fir a small number of wealthy people, it was cheaply made on an assembly line, but American workers could afford it and thus sold in extraordinary numbers. America was already the greatest industrial power in the world, but he automobile put in in line to becoming a greater industrial nation than all of Europe. Not only did American producers more cars than all the rest of the world, but much of the production in other countries came from the subsidiaries of American American manufacturers. There were huge economic consequences. Manufacturing cars led to the expansion of major new industries, like the rubber industry and oil industry. Other counties built cars, but notably Germany and Japan built cars and trucks in relatively small numbers. This would have huge consequences when they decide to make war on the Allies (Britain and France) and eventfully the United States. The War would be a mobile conflict and although cars were not a military weapon trucks were vitally important, especially when Germany and Japan decide to plunge into the Soviet Union and China, respectively. And they did so with an army largely on foot--a huge miscalculation . Britain was the only country that began the War with a fully motorized army. Even the United States did not have a fully motorized army in 1939. But the military potential of the automobile plants was far beyond just producing trucks. The same Detroit assembly lines that turned out chrome-laden steel automobiles would soon be turning out tanks and aircraft in huge numbers and the engines that drove them. The same dynamic affected the Soviet Uniin and its attempt at world dominatiion. The Soviet Union was a case of its own and a vital one in World War II. The Soviet industrialization effort included the mass production of motor vehicles. An for the needed technology, Stalin turned to the capitalist West, primarily American companies. Germany also had American subsidiaries, but while the Soviets took mass production to heart, the Germans were dismissive of it. The outcome of World War II would be powerful affected by this cultural mindset. he Soviets prodyuced a lot of motrir vehicles, but they gave no attebntion to cost. This is possible for shoirt term emergebncies like workd war II. It doesnot, however, work for a permanent economic system. As a result, the products coming out of Soviet factories, including the motor vehicle factories, were worth less than the raw materiasls and other inputs that wentb into the fasctiries. This is the central reason Soviet workerrs were so poorly paid and why the Soviet Union lost the Cold War.

America, North

North America was important primarily because of the huge Americam automobile industry. It was here that most of the world's motor verhicles were built. This was of enormous stratehic importance because World War II unlike World War I was a war of movement which meant motor vehicles. And plants that built cars and trucks could also build tanks and planes. And even without conversion, trucks were vital to a war of movement. Tanks might blast holes in enemny defense lines, but trucks were needed to move men and equioment through those holes and exploit the break throughs. The Amerucan automobile industry was not producung tanks at the onset of the War and thus caused both Greramy and Japoan to underetimate America as a military threat. American autimobile comanies not only produced tanks, but also aircraft in huge numbers. They not only surprised the American military, but the Axis leaders as well were astonished by the performance of the American Arsenal of Democracy. A major difference between the United States and Germany was that America produced only a small number of tank and truck models, but producrd them in prodigious numbers. The Germans came up with a large numbrer of prototyoes, but even more importantly were comnstantly fiddling with small, oftem virtually useless, changes. All of this adversely affected the production process which from the beginning was more of craft shop than modern mass production assembly lines. Canada was tied into the American automobile industry. While much smaller, Canada by the time of World War II was an industrial nation. unlike World War I. This meant that Canada from the beginning of the War provided invaluabled industrial support for the British war effort.

Europe

At the time of World War II, most od the cars and trucks not built in in America, were built in Europe. Germany was by far, the laeding indusdtrial nation in Euroope. It had the largest steel industry which was the basis for most arms manufacturing. Despite this advantage in heavy industry, Germany did not have the largest motor vehicle industry in Europe. German generals invented Blitzkrieg. The only problen was Germanmy did not have an industrial economy well suited to providing the tanks and trucks the generakls needed to wage Blitzkrieg. The Grrmany motor vehicle indutry was not even the largest in Europe and certainly not the most efficent. Production was essentaully craft shops prtoducing high-quality cars for well-to-do consumers. High-quality may sound like an assett in an industrial war, but for vehickes with life spans often measured in weeks or even days, it was a war-losing inmdustrial policy. It involved the highly inefficent use of resources--scarce resources in a notoriously resource poor country. This was a factor in Germmany losing World War I and would again be a factor in World War II. German workers had to use bicycles. Few Germans could aford to buy German-produced cars abd thus runs were realatively small. The Deutsche Wehrmacht throughout the War was primarily unmotirized infantry using horse-drawn carts, but led by a powrrful armored spearhead. This proved adequate for short wars with its neighbors, but not for the Osrkrieg Hitler dreamed about. Europe's largest motor veicvke industry wa the British, although a fraction of the size of the American motor vehicle industry. Even so, Britain was the only country to enter World War II with a fully mechanized army. France also had a substantial motor vehicle industry. They produced some excellent early tanks, but lacked the battle doctrine to use them. Germany failed to take advantage of Ftench indusdtry during the occuoation (1940-44), although Renault until bombed by the Allies (1942) did produce truck for them. It would be in the East that Germany's real challengev would come and the War decuded. The Sovuiet Union as a result of Stalin's Five Year Plans and technichal; assitance from American companies had constructed a sizeable motor vehicle induatry. The German steel industry was much larger that the Soviet steel industry, but the motor vehicles insustries were more compaparable. And unlike the Geramns, the Soviets thanks to the Americans had adopted efficient assembly-linmed mass production techniques. And like the Americans settled on a few excellent designs and produced them in quantity.

Asia

Japan was the inly Asian country producing moytot behicles. And this gave Japan a hige advantage in the War with China begun in Manchuria (1931) and launched on a wider scale (1937). The Japanese gained great victories and committed horendus atrocities, but did not have the industrial strength to penetrate into the interior and defeat China. China's primitive infrastructure and almost total lack of roads here were factors. Laubching the Pacific War (1941) briugh Japan into combat with an industrail giant. Motoir vehicles would notbplay a major factor in the island campaigns in contrast to Europe, but American indudstrial ptofuction of ships and planes would overwhealm the highly motivatd, but poorly arme=ed Japanese soldier. Japan's one great victory, the seizure of Malaya/Singapore was gained by bicycles, not motor vehicles.

Japan

apan by the turn-of-the 20th century was rapidly industrializing. It was still far behind the West, but already the most heavily industrialized country in Asia. And like the West, individuals began working on motor vehicles. Torao Yamaha produced the first Japanese motor vehicle--a bus (1904). It was powered by a steam engine. American manufacturers at the time were also using steam and electricity. Komanosuke Uchiyama produced the Takuri. It was the first Japanese-manufactured car with a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine (1907). The Kunisue Automobile Works built the Kunisue (1910). They next manufactured the Tokyo in cooperation with Tokyo Motor Vehicles Ltd. (1911). Kaishinsha Motorcar Works was established in that same year and subsequently began building the DAT. These early manufacturers used American or European designs. The Mitsubishi Model A was based on the FIAT A3-3 design (1917). The Model A is usually seen as the first mass-produced car in Japan, even though a mere 22 units were produced. This gives a good idea of the level of production. William R. Gorham founded Jitsuyo Jidosha Seizo Co. (1920). They first built the Gorham and later the Lila. The company merged with Kaishinsha to form the DAT Automobile Manufacturing Co (1926). This company would later be known as Nissan Motors). Hakuyosha Ironworks Ltd. built the Otom (1924-27). These early manufacturers struggled, despite Government support. The fact that few people in Japan could afford a car and the high price of fuel because oil had to be imported meant that there was a limited market. The Great Kanto Earthquake struck the Kanto Plain on the main Japanese island of Honshu. This is where Tokyo is located. It was the most devastating earthquake in Japan's recorded history. Some 140,000 people were killed and the country's modern infrastructure was devastated. The motor vehicle industry actually benefited. Yanase & Co., Ltd. imported American-made cars and made an important contribution recovery work by importing American GMC trucks and construction equipment. Japanese manufacturers carefully examined the imported vehicles in detail and began developing their own heavy trucks and equipment. Toyota began at the time was a major textile manufacturer. The founder order his son to start making cars, something he knew nothing bout. He began producing cars (1936). Most motor vehicles produced in Japan were trucks ordered by the Army. Isuzu, Yanmar and Daihatsu concentrated on developing diesel engines. The number of cars produced were minimal, but increased somewhat in the 1930s. They continued to use American and European models. Nissan Motors' built cars based on the British Austin 7 and Graham-Paige designs. Toyota worked with Chrysler to produce the AA model using the Airflow model. Ohta worked with Ford. built cars based on Ford models. Chiyoda and Sumida which would become Isuzu, built cars that looked like General Motors (Pontiac and LaSalle) designs (1935). Ford and GM opened factories in Japan and quickly dominated the Japanese market. The Ford Motor Company of Japan was founded (1925). A production plant was opened in Yokohama. General Motors opened a plant in Osaka (1927). Chrysler which was generally less active overseas than its two big competitors established Kyoritsu Motors. These three American subsidiaries produced nearly 209,000 vehicles (1925-36), about 20,000 vehicles annually. Domestic manufacturers produced only 12,000 vehicles. The highly nationalistic Japanese Government dominated by the Army decided to change that (1936). The Automobile Manufacturing Industry Law was essentially designed to end foreign involvement in the manufacturing industry. The impact was that in the run up to World War II, the army prevented a major expansion of the country's motor vehicle industry which would have been of great value to the country's war economy. . Ford was about to begin construction of a substantial new plant at Yokohama, modeled on Dagenham plant in England. It was to have built cars and trucks not only for Japan, but for the Asian market. This would have made Japan an automobile exporter. Instead foreign car companies were essentially expelled from Japan. The Government ordered the motor vehicle companies to shift production from cars to heavy duty trucks for the military, primarily the Army. The companies now operating the nationalized foreign plant worked together to create the Isuzu TX truck. It was a standardized heavy duty truck for the military. During World War II, Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu and Kurogane built trucks and motorcycles for the Imperial Japanese Army, with Kurogane introducing the world's first mass-produced four-wheel-drive car, called the Kurogane Type 95 in 1936. As a result, during World War II, Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu and Kurogane built trucks and motorcycles for the Japanese Army. Kurogane created the world's first mass-produced four-wheel-drive car, several years before the Jeep. It was the Kurogane Type 95 (1936). After invading China (1937), the Imperial Army needed more trucks to seize and occupy large areas as well for expanded domestic industrial activity. This demand only increased when Japan launched the Pacific War (1941), although as the War unfolded, relatively few trucks were needed in the island campaigns. They were needed in China and Burma. But one of the consequences of Japan's aggressive policies, the United States cut off petroleum exports (1941) and after the War began its submarine campaign cut off petroleum deliveries to the Home Islands. When American submarines began sinking tankers (1943), it became virtually impossible for civilians to obtain gasoline. When the American bombing began (1945), most of the plants producing motor vehicles and parts were destroyed. While Japan produced trucks, the Imperial Army was largely unmotorized and after invading China (1937), became mired in an intractable war they could not win. China's primitive road network and Joan's limited vehicle output left the Army without the logistical capability to move deeper into China and destroy the Nationalist Army. Like the Germans, theJapanese Army was on foot and heavily dependent on horses. In their great victory at Singapore, they relied on bicycles to move down he Malay Peninsula (1942).

Sources

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Baldwin, N. A-Z of Cars of the 1920s . Devon, UK: Bay View Books, 1994).

Church, Roy. The Rise and Decline of the British Motor Industry (Cambridge University Press: 1995).

Kelly, M. A. Russian Motor Vehicles: The Czarist Period 1784 to 1917 (Veloce Publishing Ltd. 2009)

King, Peter (1989). The Motor Men (Quiller Press: 1989).

Sutton, Antony C. (1968). Western Technology and Soviet Economic Development, 1917 to 1930 (Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace: 1968).

Vanderveen, Bart H. (1973). British Cars of the Late Thirties 1935 – 1939 . (London and New York: Frederick Warne, 1973)

Created: 11:22 AM 2/19/2022
Last updated: 11:22 AM 2/19/2022