The Arsenal of Democracy
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Historical narrative chapter; level 5 by design analogy, not clinical CEBM.
OpenAlex W4416384090 · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197764602.003.0002
What was done
This book chapter examines the historical mobilization of the United States defense industrial base beginning in 1940 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt and General Motors executive William Knudsen, focusing on the coordination of private industry to mass-produce weapons, vehicles, and aircraft.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative figures or statistical metrics. Qualitatively, it states that private industry mobilization streamlined production, secured critical materials, facilitated major outputs such as the B-29 bomber, contributed to Allied victory, and established the foundation for the Cold War military-industrial complex.
Why it matters
It provides a historical case study of state-directed private industrial mobilization during a major global conflict and traces the origins of modern defense procurement structures.
Limits
The abstract provides no empirical data, quantitative production statistics, or comparative methodological framework. As a narrative historical chapter, findings reflect qualitative historical analysis rather than systematic empirical testing.
Cited by
- supports During World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed General Motors president William Knudsen to coordinate U.S. industrial war production at a salary of one dollar per year.