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war and social upheaval: World War II -- nationl industrial trends
World War II: National Industrial Trends
Figure 1.--The United States did not make the best cats in 1939, but it made the catrs that ordinary people could aford--meaning the average worker or farmner. This included thg refugee Oakies from the Dust Bowl and Depression. Humorist Will Rogeres noted, "America is the first country to ever go nto the poor house in an automobile." As a result of the huge sales, the American automobile industry was enormouds with an econoimic foot print larger than that of most countries. And that indudtry had a war-making potential that the Germans and Japnese poorly understood.
Industry can be broken down into many different component sectors. A list of such sectors can vary, but several will ievitablt appear on any list of major sectiors. And these will affect the ability of a country to wage war. The single most importabnt since the mid-19th century had bveen the steel sector and thus continued to be the case in World War II. Almost all of the major weapons groups required steel--tanks and other vehickes, stillery and guns, aircraft (engines, guns, and bombs), and ships. An here the leading country was the United States, no country was close to America in steel oroduction. Germany was a distant second. The Soviets were expanding steel production, but still far behind Germany. The automotive sector first surfaced in World War I, but would be a crucially imprtant sector in World War II. Again America dominated the sector. Britain was a distant second and Germany far behind. This would have a major impact on the war as so much of the war shifted from the foot soldier to motorized fire power and moving men and equipment. Another new industry became a key sector in the War--electronics. Here America again had the larger indudutry, but both Germany and Britain were doing critically imprtant reserach before the War, especially in radar. The Soviert Uniin had made enormous prigress in several key sectoirs, but were far behind in electronics. Few Soviet citizens even had a radio in their home. While steel was at the heart of most weapoons system, a new metal was rising in importance. Aluminum was vital to the new aviation sector. Metal working was imprtant, not only for aluminum, but other non-ferrous metals, especially copper. Several metals were important to the steel industry. Metals like nickel and tungsten were needed for the all imortant steel alloys needed for a variety of weapons systems. Ship building wasnother ikprtant industry that would play a vital role in wiorld, even affecting the Soviet Union and the largely land-locked Ostkrieg. And needed to keep all these industries running was the energy sectory, primarily powewd by coal at the time. Other industries played imoprtant, but lesser roles including chemical, energy, metal working, and textiles. Notice that whike Germay was imprtant (but not the leader in any of these sectors, except perhaps chemicals, Japan was basically an after thoiught in each sector, except for ship building.
Steel Sector
The single most important industrial sector since the mid-19th century. The Bessemer process brought down the cost of producing steel, expanding its use in industry and the millitary. And thus the steel sector continued to be the central industrial sector in World War II. Almost all of the major weapons groups required steel--tanks and other vehicles, stillery and guns, aircraft (engines, guns, and bombs), and ships. Huge quntities of steel were needed to build these weapons and equipment. Drives were launched to collect scrap iron and other metals. An the leading steel producer was the United States. No country was close to America in steel oroduction. Germany was a distant second. This gave Germany the potential to outproduce every country but the United States. German output was impressive, but failed in many areas like tanks and trucks. Here industrial orhanization and management was a factor, by also of great imprtance was that Germany had to use much of its industrial power to fight war in the West. A major problem for the Germans was that they bad to import iron and other metalic ored. Germany is a resource poor country, exceot for coal. The Gerrmnams successfully managed their need for raw materials. The one glaring exception was oil. The Soviets were expanding steel production, but still far behind Germany. Even so the Soviets outproduced the Germans in several areas, esecially tanks which were vital for the Ostkrieg. Japan incontrast had only a small steel industry. It was the larrgest in Asia, but a small fraction of the Ameeican steel sector. Japan became a threat bcause since the 1920s it was devotinh most of its steel prodction to armamnts, especially ship construction. Thr United States in contrast sgarrply curtailed navak construction and other arms production. One steel product that gave rise to interest as part of the Allied strateguc bombing czampaign was ball bearings.
The automotive sector first became a factor in World War I. American trucks would be an important factir in the cWar. The Germans, however, asked for van armisdtice before American indutry had fully coverted to war priduction. World War II was very different. The American auotomotive industry would play a crucially imoportant role. And it was far larger than in World War I. In fact the American automotive industry had an economic footpeint larger than the entire economies of most countries. After Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt after nearly a decade of lambasting businessmen, he called then 'economic royalists.' he turnbed to them in aesperate effort to save America. And he understood the importance of the automotive industry. World War II was an industrial war and industry would be America's route to victory. In fact, the President called the leading and higest paid businessman (Outside Hollywood) in the country--the chairman of General Motors--William Knudsen. His job became to mobilize the Arsenal of Democracy for War. America would not omly arm it's own miliilary, but help arm it's fighting alloy. And at the heart of the production miracle that followed would be Knudsen and the American automotive industry. America had dominated the sector before the War. Unlike other countries, it was not only the well-to-do who owned cars in America. Henry Ford had brought the automobile within thw purchasing power of the average wirker. And a hige industry had grown up to fill that demand. The British automotive sector was a distant second and Germany far behind. German car ownereshipp was a tiny fraction of American car onership and this was reflected in the size of the German automotive sector. The Italian sector was even smaller and the Japanese auto sector viurtually non existent. Of course a country does not win wars with automobiles. But the same plants that could build cars could also turn out trucks, tanks, planes, and other implements of war, only it would take time to fully gear up for war, a little more thsn a year. It prived to be, however, the key to victory. So much of the war shifted from the foot soldier to notorized fire power and moving men and equioment rapidly in mass. This was Hitler's great mistake, he did not fully understand how warfare had changed. It was not sp much the decision to invade the Soviet Union thzt doomed NAZI Germany, but sending the largely unmotoirized Ostheer East on foot with horse-drawn carts and how quickly American indusdtry could coivert for war.
Another new industry became a key sector in the War--electronics. Telecomminications was vbital to jodern warfare, lthouhj not fully understood sat the time. Sonar was developed in World war I, but a new technology--radar opened up vast new capabilities. Electromics in 1939 basically meant the radio indusdtry. Here America again had the larger indudutry, but both Germany and Britain were doing critically imprtant reserach before the War, especially on radar. The size of the American undustry was imprtant because it meant that America had the plantgs abd skilled technicians needed to produce in quantity. As work with the new technolofues to create many innovations that had military importnce. Germany made headkibes with glasky new weaons like the jet and rickets (actually missles), but in gact fhese weaons had no impact on the War. Actually they pribably hurt the Gernan a=war effirt because if the vasr effoirt put into weapons that had no impact. It vwas weapns systems that the Allies decived, like te cavity magnatrion and and proximity fuse, that weere tge secret eeapons that did imoact the War. The Soviet Union had made enormous progress in several key sectors, but were far behind in electronics. Few Soviet citizens even had a radio in their home. This would be an importbt vfctir in the Cold war.
he airplane had been invented in America by two bicycle mechanics, the Wright Brothers (1903). At the time of World War I, however, the United States did not have modern combst aircraft. When America entered the War (1917), it had to use British and French planes. In the inter-war period, several countries developed important aircraft industries: America, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet Union. A key to building modern aircraft was aluminum. Thus a country's potential to build aircraft was the size of its aluminum industry. Aluminum production not only required bauxite, but vast quantities of electrical power. Some World War II planes were built with plywood (the British Mosquito and the German FW-190), but most were built with aluminum. Until the NAZI-take over in 1933, national aviation industries primarily depended on civilian demand. And here the largest civil aviation industry was in the United States. Pasenger aircraft were needed by a country the United States where as smaller countries had no great need for aircraft in domestic transport. Aircraft had played only a minor role in World War I. This was to be very different in World War II and the aviation industries of the beligerant countries had a major impact on the War. And this time the American aviation industry played a major role. The Allied aviation industries (especially America, Britain, and Canada) worked very closely. The Axis aviation industries did not coordinate efforts nor did the Germans utilize the potetial of the aviation industries of the occupied countries. While steel was at the heart of most weapons systems, a new metal was rising in importance. Aluminum was vital to the new aviation sector. The American civil aviation industry would be an imprtant base for an enormous expoansion of air power, just as the German civil aviation industry had been the base for the growth of the Luftwaffe.
Metal Working Sector
Metal working was imprtant, not only for aluminum, but other non-ferrous metals, especially copper. Several metals were important to the steel industry. Metals like nickel and tungsten were needed for the all imortant steel alloys needed for a variety of weapons systems. At this time we do not have details on the metal working industris of Workd War II belligerrants. We have no iudea aboiut capav=vity bd effencies. We do have information on specific metals.
Ship Building Sector
Ship building was nother important industry that would play a vital role in World War II, even affecting the Soviet Union and the largely land-locked Ostkrieg. Naval construction was obviously important. We do not at this time have data on nhip building capacity. It must have been significantly greater for the Allies than Axis, but the Japanese built at a level that neraly bank ruppted the country while America and Btitain severly limited construction because of the low priority assigned to the military. This allowed the Japanese to gain a nacakl inballance by the time of the Pacific War. Both countries could build ver large ships. The Germans built Bismarck and Turpitz. The Japanese built Yamato and Musashi. Neither country, howver, could match the output of America and Britain. As far as we knowe, the Germans did not use the French shipyards to build ships duriung the occupation (1940-44). The Allied potential was uded by opening small yards in Canada to build the corvettes which proved so important in the Battle of the Atlantic. Less dramaric, but of vital importance was the construction of cargo vessels. The Jaosnese had a substabtial maru fleet, adequate for peace time, but totally inadequate for war time time. And once the war began, Japonese shipyards had little spare capacity for maru construction. This mean that Japn was unvle to sadequtely supply sbd support forces after the first 6 months of the war. Merchant shipping was not just important for America, it was essential. It was only through merchasnt shipping thast Anerica could bring its formidable war making capsbility to bear on the Axis or to aid Britaon and the Soviet Union. To do this, the already substantisl shipbuilding capability by Henry Kaiser's Liberty Ship program. The result was vast fleet of merchant shipping.
And needed to keep all these industries running was the energy sectory, primarily powewd by coal at the time. War since the dawn if times were fought with manpower administered in various ways, club, spear, bow and arrow and other implements. Next came animal power, mostly horse power (about 1500 BC), first chariots tha calvalry. Next came wind power. The sail dates to the ancient Egyptians, but because if its unreliability was not extensiveky used in naval warfare until nuch later begunning with the European naval outreach (16th centurty). With the Inustrial Revolution. hydrocarbons came into play. First with the invention ofthe steam invention was coal. Steam engines provided the first efficent way to move men and material rapidly by both rail and sea (19th century). Next came oil which was first introduced in World War I for naval warfare and to a lesser degree for land and air warfare. Oil became the essential fuel in World War II, not only for the navies, but land warfare and aerial warfare in vast quantities. The Axis's lack of access to oil proved to be a major factor in the War. some times forgotton is the importance of coal. Coal poweed the viatal as well was findamental for the proper functioning of the war ecomonies of the beligetant powers. The War was finally ended with the atomic bombs dropped on Jaoan, ushring in the nuclear age.
Other Sectors
Other industries played imoprtant, but lesser roles in World War II, including chemica, textiles, add others. Er have sime clothing sector pages, such as England.
National Assessment
Notice that while Germany was important (but not the leader in any of these sectors, except perhaps chemicals), Japan was basically an after thought in each sector, except for ship building.
