The Mobilization of the United States in World War II

As Hitler prepared for and then carried out his assault on Western Europe in the late 1930s through 1941, the U.S. military was severely undermanned; the army was ranked only 19th worldwide in size. For the most part the American public followed an isolationist line, feeling that Hitler’s aggression was a European problem that did not affect the United States.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 abruptly ended America’s isolation, and the country rapidly prepared for a world war on two fronts. Industries converted seemingly overnight to the production of war material, while government agencies sprang up to oversee the mobilization effort. For the first time, women entered the work force on a large scale; others joined the military services, primarily as nurses or in support roles. The military quickly regained its strength, rising to 8 million members by 1945. Patriotism on the home front was fueled by enthusiastic news reports of American victories. This is the story of the successes and failures of the United States in mobilizing for and at the same time fighting a world war.

V.R. Cardozier served as a field artillery officer in World War II. He is Professor of Higher Education Emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin. He lives in Austin.

V.R. Cardozier
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 277
Bibliographic Info: 4 tables, glossary, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2014 [1995]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7743-2
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      1

1. Stay Out of War!      5
2. Pearl Harbor      30
3. Internal Security      46
4. Military Mobilization      72
5. Government Mobilizes      104
6. Industrial Mobilization      131
7. Women at War      159
8. Civilian Defense      185
9. Patriotism      193
10. The Home Front      214

Abbreviations      243
Bibliography      245
Index      253

“analyzes the successes and failures of this miraculous transformation”—Naval History.