The War Industries Board (WIB) was crucial in WWI, coordinating war material production and transforming the U.S. economy for war efforts. Established by President Wilson in 1917, it was led by Bernard Baruch from March 1918. The WIB, under the National Defense Act, played a key role in resource allocation, standardizing production, and setting price controls to prevent profiteering, thus demonstrating the government's ability to control the economy during wartime.
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President Woodrow Wilson established the War Industries Board in 1917 to coordinate the production of war materials during World War I, with representatives from various sectors of industry and government
Expansion of Government Powers and Implications for Civil Liberties
The National Defense Act of 1916 and the Council of National Defense played a pivotal role in advising the government on the production of war materials, but also had implications for civil liberties through legislation such as the Espionage Act and Sedition Act
The War Industries Board's mission was to ensure efficient production and supply of war materials, leading to a remarkable increase in industrial production and preventing excessive profiteering through price controls
The War Industries Board was initially led by Frank Scott and then by Daniel Willard, but it was under the leadership of Bernard Baruch that the WIB gained significant influence
Under the leadership of Bernard Baruch and with expanded powers granted by President Wilson, the WIB effectively managed the industrial transformation necessary for the war effort
The War Industries Board, along with other wartime agencies, played a decisive role in mobilizing the American economy to meet the demands of World War I, showcasing the federal government's capacity to exert substantial control over the economy during wartime
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The WIB became fully operational by ______ 1918, after the U.S. joined World War I in ______ 1917.
March
April
01
Date of National Defense Act
Enacted on June 3, 1916, not May 1916.
02
Purpose of National Defense Act
Authorized centralized control over industrial production during war.
