"We Can Do It!" The Herculean Effort of War Mobilization During WW II.

Against incredible odds, an unprepared nation became involved in two wars thousands of miles apart. Our enemies were militarily more powerful than us. Each showed little regard for the human rights of many and even less respect for America's ability to fight back. Their mission was clear: they wanted complete social, economic, and political domination and planned to purge what they considered the undesirables from the face of the earth. And they quickly did so in places like China and Eastern Europe. Critics felt that America would be doomed to disaster. Only miracles could save us.

Pre- Pearl Harbor America

Before the attack at Pearl Harbor, the American military was not considered a powerhouse. Regarding world conflicts, the United States had remained neutral since the end of World War 1 and had not invested in modernizing its war machines. U.S.Navy vessels were relics from World War 1, and our army was only ranked 19th in the world based on strength and size. Even the tiny nation of Portugal had a more powerful army. More importantly, the enemies of freedom, both Germany and Japan, held a low opinion of America's military might and its ability or desire to build one.

Hitler and Germany

Adolph Hitler, in particular, had not bothered to educate himself on American industrialization or our tenacity to fight back. A fanatical racist, he saw America as a divided nation, full of individuals he loathed - Jewish-Americans, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, basically the non-white race. A divided country, Hitler felt, would not be willing to fight a war on two fronts.