Great series here. We’ve lived in Belgium since 1965 (just north of Waterloo), and have wandered all over the western battlefields. Less familiar with the eastern areas, so that part of your history is especially interesting. Reading on...
"Prewar stocks were used up in the opening round and since no provision having been made for a large-scale conversion of industry to meet wartime needs, production was quite inadequate to cover the Army‘s ongoing requirements."
"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."
Europeans still haven't learned the lesson - see Ukraine.
The US was unprepared in 1940 and had a lot of slack capacity. See also Civil War 1861-63. Took a while to get serious. However, the difference today is that the West lacks the *capacity*, not just the actual production at hand.
Great series here. We’ve lived in Belgium since 1965 (just north of Waterloo), and have wandered all over the western battlefields. Less familiar with the eastern areas, so that part of your history is especially interesting. Reading on...
"Prewar stocks were used up in the opening round and since no provision having been made for a large-scale conversion of industry to meet wartime needs, production was quite inadequate to cover the Army‘s ongoing requirements."
"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."
Europeans still haven't learned the lesson - see Ukraine.
The US was unprepared in 1940 and had a lot of slack capacity. See also Civil War 1861-63. Took a while to get serious. However, the difference today is that the West lacks the *capacity*, not just the actual production at hand.