Preparedness (jul 1, 1914 – jan 1, 1917)

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After decades of isolationism, the U.S. military was severely ill-equipped to be involved in a major war like the one that was forming in Europe. President Wilson, along with most Democrats, initially opposed the war preparations that eastern Republicans like Theodore Roosevelt advocated for. However, by 1915, he was feeling mounting pressure to expand and improve the military, so he changed policy and started urging Congress to grow the army. In June 1916, Congress finally caved to the demands, increasing the regular armed forces to 175,000 soldiers with the passage of the National Defense Act. Shortly thereafter, they approved the production of 50 new warships in a single year.

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