FDR and America's Preparation for War 1933-1940

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall take a really deep dive into the preparation for the war that no one in the US wanted to fight. We have always said that it isn't like flipping on a light switch--the build-up had to start somewhere. Where did the US Naval and US Army build-up begin? In the heart of the Great Depression of all places. Seth and Jon get into an absolutely fascinating conversation about how American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt got his country ready to fight the war that he could see coming as far away as 1933. With a series of Naval acts proposed by the "Father of the Modern American Navy", Carl Vinson, FDR's government got shipbuilding, and the economy, back on track with a flurry of warship builds from 33-38. The guys get into the Vinson-Trammel Act of 1934, the Naval Act of 1938, the Two Ocean Navy Bill, the Peacetime Draft of 1940, and the massive uptick in aircraft production--all pointing to the effort to gear-up as the world deteriorated before

English
  • Originally Aired July 1, 2025
  • Runtime 92 minutes
  • Created April 10, 2026 by
    akillough
  • Modified April 10, 2026 by
    akillough