Figure 1.--In 1941 while German factories were turning out panzers, artillery, and U-boats, American factories were using critical raw material to turn out automobiles -- using huge quantities of steel and copper and dripping with sparkeling chrome, not to mention the rubber tires. At the same time this photograph was taken, the U.S. Army was staging war games -- the North Louisiana Manuevers. As few tanks were available, trucks with signs labeled 'tank' were used. The Big Three automobile companies were not especially interested in war contracts. America was emerging from the Depression and their cars, like this gleaming new Pontiac, were finally selling.

America was not militarily prepared when Hitler and Stalin launched World War II in Europe. The U.S. Army was a very small force, smaller than the armies of even some of the smaller European countries. It was better prepared, however, than when America entered World War I. Even so, only one country at the outbreak of World War II had the industrial and agricultural capacity as well as the raw material resource base to wage world war on an extended basis. And as would prove to be the case, wage world war on a global basis on two widely separated distant fronts. The United States, unlike the Axis nations and the Soviet Union, howeever, had no desire to wage another world war. The Soviet Union had substantial deposits of natural resources and had significantly expanded the country's industrial base, but significantly weakened the country's agricultural base by cusing the Ukranian famine as aay to destroy the Ukranian peasantry and collectizing agriculture. The United States' peace time economy was self sufficent or largely self sufficent in many categories of raw material production. And unlike the industry and mines of the other major World War II belgerants, America was beyond the reach of its enemies. They could not be bombed while the industry and mines as well as the transport net work of the Axis could be bombed and interdicted. And unlike the Soviet policy of murdering the peasantry, the New Deal before the War had focused on saving and revitalizing the American farmer. As a result, agricultural production could be significntly increased. As industril war production ramped up, however, America would need to import raw materials in vast quantities. The one major weakness was rubber, although uranium would also prove to be a problem. What America lacked, it had the ability to import as long as it could keep the sea lanes threatened by German U-boats open. The immediate problem for America once the Lend Lease commitment was made was to get raw materials and equipment to Britain and its other allies like the Soviet Union. The rubber problem was solved by launching a new synthetic rubber industry. The delivery problemn was solved by a massuive naval expansion program and the venerable Liberty Ships. Not only did the United States have the resource base to supply its own war industry, but it also was able to supply or help supply its allies as well.

Preparation

America was not militarily prepared when Hitler and Stalin launched World War II in Europe. The U.S. Army was a very small force, smaller than the armies of even some of the smaller European countries. It was better prepared, however, than when America entered World War I.

Capacity

Even so, only one country at the outbreak of World War II had the industrial and agricultural capacity as well as the raw material resource base to wage world war on an extended basis. And as would prove to be the case, wage world war on a global basis on two widely separated distant fronts. The United States, unlike the Axis nations and the Soviet Union, however, had no desire to wage another world war. The Soviet Union had substantial deposits of natural resources and had significantly expanded the country's industrial base, but significantly weakened the country's agricultural base by engineering the Ukranian famine as a way to destroy the Ukranian peasantry and collectizing agriculture. And unlike the industry and mines of the other major World War II belgerants, America was beyond the reach of its enemies. They could not be bombed while the industry and mines as well as the transport net work of the Axis could be bombed and interdicted.

Raw Materials

Raw materials were vital to the American Arsenal of Democracy. The United States' peace time economy was self sufficent or largely self sufficent in a long list of strategic materials, not totally self suffucent, but more self suffucent that all other industrial nations--except the Soviet Union. The Soviets had , however, a much smaller industrial base. As industril war production ramped up, however, America would need to import raw materials in vast quantities. America wa largely self-suffucient (100-75 percet) in Alluminum/Bauxite, Cement, Coal, Natural gas, Iron ore, Magnesium, Molybendum, Oil, and Phosphates. There was also a good supply (75-50 percent domestic): Copper, Lead, Mercury, and Zinc. America needed more imports (only 50-25 percent domestic): Antimomy, Manganese, Platinum, Silver, Tin and Tungsten). America was largely dependent on imports (25-0 percent domestic): Asbestous, Chromite, Cobalt, Nickel, natural Nitrates, Palladium, and Radium. [Morgan p. 2.] Most of the needed materials could be obtained from Latin America which the Axis had no way of interdicting, even at the peak of U-boat activity. This is why the Battle of the Atlantic was so important. There is of course a much longer list of industrial raw materials, but these are the most important. The needed materials could be imported because the Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy controlled the sea lanes. The Axis had a much greater problem. Not only did the Axis countries have limited domestic production, theu had no access to world markets other than European countries. Japan for a little over a year did control the sea lanes to its new South Pacific Empire, but lost them in 1943. Most importantly, the United States has oil and refining capacity, America not only had a large oil industry, but influenced Venezuela, another important oil producer. The Axis had very little domestic production and after going to war, no way to import oil from America or Venezuela. It is said that the Allies floated to victory on a sea of oil--American and Venezulan oil. The British also had access to Iraqi oil. America also had huge refining capacity. The United States produced some 90 percent of World War II aviation fuel. America's one major weakness was rubber, although uranium would also prove to be a problem. What America lacked, it had the ability to import as long as it could keep the sea lanes threatened by Germn U-boats open. The immediate problem for America once the Lend Lease commitment was made was to get raw materials and equipment to Britain and other allies and especially important, the Soviet Union. The rubber problem was solved by launching a new synthetic rubber industry. The delivery problemn was solved by a massive naval expansion program and the venerable Liberty Ships. Not only did the United States have the resource base to supply its own war industry, but it also was able to supply or help supply its allies as well.

Food

In sharp contrast to Stalin's farm policy of murdering the best farmers in the country, President Roosevelt before the War had assigned a high priority to saving and revitalizing the American farmer and adopted a range of New Deal farm programs. The American farmer after World War I had to reduce his planting and harvests. He had increased actuvity during World War to feed a statving Eirope. As Europe recovered, less American food was needed. The Dust Bowl further affected production, but the potential was still there. And the New Deal programs to assist farmers helped imorive farming mnethods. As a result, agricultural production could be significntly increased as War approached. At the time, the European food situation was stable. Stalin had reduced Soviet food production by murderung the country's best farmers (1931-32), but that did not affect the rest of Europe. What did have an impact was the war that Hitler and Stalin launched by invading first Poland (September 1939) and then mist of the resyt of Europe. NAZI and Soviet brutality and mismanagement and the deoprtation of productive farmers, Europe expertiebed a serious decline in food production. People in NAZI occupied countrues began toi ngo hungry. The NAZI answer was the Hunger Plan to deby food to people they wanted to elimninate. This created a great demand for food in Europe. In America and the British Dominions, the agricultural sector in full production. Bit American agricultural exoorts actually dropped as German ships and U-boats began sinking merchant vessels. American agricultural exports actually fell. Farming exports actually declined massiveky (30 - 40 percent) below the average of the 10 depression years befire the War. Grain exports the mist imooratnt agricultural commodity plummeted 30 percent in one year (1939-40). Britain was using its scarse finacial resources for arms. Presidebt Roosevelt first committed the U.S. Navy to escort convoys and then launched an undeclared naval war before Pearl Harbor. And than the President created the Lend Lease Program, essentially writing Britain a blank check. One source describes Lend-Lease as an export program for industrialists and farmers. The U.S. Government bought food commodities that had been in surplus before the war and transported then to the Allies, primarily Britain and the Soviet Union The reresult was that in 1941, farm income spiked, in fact higher than at any time since the start of the Depression. And after Peral Harbor and Amerucan entry into the War, the American farmer came into his own. Cash cash income for farmers increased from $4.4 billion to $12.3 billion. Farmers went from a net income of just over $700 to about $2,100, Even so, farmers earned less than 60 percent of what urban workers made. The American farmer instraded of neing burdened by over profiction found himself being urged to produce as much as possible. Food was a key weapon in the war. America not only fed its population and burgeoning military, but played a major role in feeding Allied armies. Spam became a key item in the diet of the Red Army soldier. The average person couldc not raise meat, although some families began raising rabbits. Many people, however, could raise vegetables. The Depsartment of Agriculture suggested that Americans produce their own vegetables in Victory Gardens. The response was overwealming. There were by 1943 about 20 million Victory Gardens. Most were in backyards, but even in the citires there were rooftop Victory Gardens. They produced over half of the fresh vegetables consumed in America and provide additional supplies for home canning. While Axis countries were statcing people and creatung food shortages, America as in World War I would play a central role in preventing the starvation of millions.

Sources

Morgan, J.D. Bureau of Mines. "Strategic Materials in World War II," CIA Document RDP85-01156R000300390010 (December 1, 1983).

Created: 1:09 PM 7/17/2020
Last updated: 8:42 AM 10/16/2020