Was America numerically weak in terms of military strength prior 1939?

Question

with relations to WW2?

Answer 1

The previous answer is totally wrong. While the US had a large army at the time of the First World War, America, during this period in history, had no tradition of maintaining large standing armies. Thus, after the war, the US very quickly demobilized.

During the 1930s, the US military ranked 65th in the world. It had only a handful of soldiers; and in the famous 1937 war games held in Lousianna, Soldiers went out in the field with broom handles instead of rifles, while the word "Tank" was painted on the sides of trucks (to simulate armor). This was the era of the Great Depression, and available government funds were being spent on domestic programs rather than building up the military.

Government spending for military purposes did not begin to pick up until 1941, and began to skyrocket in 1942. But leading up to the war. The American military was virtually non-existent.

Answer 2

Jack is pretty well correct. The US did not have a large standing Military. At the end of WW 1 the US Military shrunk in size. There was no need to keep a large standing Military. The US did not start to really ramp up its Military until after Pearl Harbor 7 Dec 41. Up until that time and even after the US was using its Lend Lease Act to buy itself and its allies time. The US needed time to gather up its Military Strength and its Allies needed the equipment. The US used the Lend Lease Act to keep out of WW2. It was easier and cheaper for the US to send War Materials to Europe than it was to send troops. The US still remembered WW1 and considered WW2 to be an European war.

Answer 3

No it was not.

The Spanish-American War of 1898 marked a turning point in United States foreign policy. Spain ruled Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and other overseas possessions during the 1890's. In the mid-1890's, Cubans revolted against their Spanish rulers. Many Americans demanded that the United States aid the rebels. On Feb. 15, 1898, the United States battleship Maine blew up off the coast of Havana, Cuba. No one was certain what caused the explosion, but many Americans blamed the Spaniards. On April 25, 1898, Congress declared war on Spain. The United States quickly defeated Spain, and the Treaty of Paris of Dec. 10, 1898, officially ended the war. Under the treaty, the United States received Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines from Spain. Also in 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii.

After he became president in 1901, Roosevelt expressed his foreign policy strategy with the slogan, "Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick." Roosevelt meant that the country must back up its diplomatic efforts with military strength. In 1903, the president used a threat of force to gain the right to dig the Panama Canal. America took over the finances of the Dominican Republic in 1905 to keep that country stable and free from European intervention. These and other actions showed that the United States had emerged as a world power.

Answer 4

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