The great economic recession had crippled the American economy in between the end of the first and the second world wars. Private investors were closing down, and Roosevelt was investing in the industries and deploying the new deal. At the end of World War II, the economy was revived. This transformation would have been possible without the war economy.
The opposition to the engagement in another war characterized the general feeling across the country (Heinrichs, 1988). Some suggested that the military would need to be reduced and the remaining units sustained on a meager diet (Heinrichs, 1988). However, Roosevelt held another perspective as he joined the war. Although he noted that the law requires America to remain neutral, he was not ready to recommend neutrality when global peace was being threatened (Heinrichs, 1988).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
With the resolve of going for the war, the president implemented the War Economy by vitalizing industries that would equip the nation with weapons and other types of machinery. The radio industry, aircraft, steel, and other major industries were in line doing massive production (Heinrichs, 1988). Although some disagreed with the strategy, it served as a means by which the economy was revived otherwise it would have taken longer. The aftermath of the war not only placed America as a superpower globally but also changed America's power to negotiate and make major economic decisions in the world.
The government established the War Production Board (WPB), which steered industrial production of war equipment (Greenberg, Watts, Greenwald, Reavley, George, Beekman, & Mercier, 2008). Deals were made by the industries to operate 24 hours throughout the week and minimize chances of strikes by considering the grievances of the workers. The country sold weapons and provided credits to those countries stricken by war (Greenberg et al., 2008). Therefore, these transformations in the industry, labor unions, and the government transformed the American economy revamping it from the great economic recession. President Roosevelt adopted unpopular strategies prior to and during the WWII, which eventually positioned the United States as a global superpower.
References
Greenberg, B., Watts, L. S., Greenwald, R. A., Reavley, G., George, A. L., Beekman, S., ... & Mercier, L. (2008). Social History of the United States [10 volumes]. ABC-CLIO.
Heinrichs, W. H. (1988). The threshold of War: Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Entry into World War II . Oxford University Press on Demand.
