Originally Posted by Botnst

The USA mobilized, slowly, from 1938 onward. Congress increased the military budgets every year by accelerating amounts, though not as much as requested. In 1939 we had a smaller army than pre-WW1 and our Navy was pretty much obsolete.

Because of increased budgets: Keels were laid for new ships of high quality and contracts were let for new designs of weapons; Also, the largest war game maneuvers in US history were performed by: MacArthur, Stllwell, Marshall, Eisenhower, Patton, etc across several states and over several months. From those maneuvers a great appreciation for blitzkerig was gained and the overwhelming importance of logistical support was appreciated and addressed.

The naval build-up allowed the uSA to lend/lease old classes of destroyers and other vessels to England and the USSR.

In 1941 the draft was expanded.

President Roosevelt and most of the Congressional leadership believed war was inevitable. Most of the population did not. So the nation was tricked into supporting "defensive" build-up. There is nothing defensive about an Iowa class battleship. Nothing defensive about fast attack aircraft carriers. Nothing defensive about amphibious forces and fleet development. They were all underway before 1941.

This is why it took the USA less than 2 yrs to get into a totally offensive war posture following Pearl Harbor.

B