The Military-Industrial Complex

With the exception of the few skirmishes in Latin America, the United States of America’s foreign policy during the early 20th century was monotonously consistent. Since there was, at the time, no pressing need for a bolstered military, when presented with the outbreak of World War I the involuntary reaction of the U.S. government was to plead neutrality. However, as the war progressed, opportunistic companies began to invest in manufacturing war goods both prior to, and during, the U.S. involvement in World War I. This sort of vacuum, in part with strategic business decisions, allowed for the creation of one of the most omnipresent challenges in modern politics — the military-industrial complex. Prior to the start of World War I, the United …show more content…
The military-industrial complex is a transnational phenomenon that formed as the United States supplied war-time goods to its future allies in Europe. However, it is important to note that the complex could have been eliminated had the world not experienced a shortcoming in capitalism or the failure of the League of Nations. Both President Wilson and the League of Nations favored the nationalization of the armaments industry and, had this system not failed without U.S. involvement, it is quite possible that this could have limited the influence the military-industrial complex has in modern …show more content…
involvement in World War II. The fear that this industry would coerce the government to partake in future conflicts for monetary gain prompted the Nye Committee, also known as the Special Committee on Investigation of the Munitions Industry, to examine the intentions and actions of this interest group. The committee questioned hundreds of witnesses through 93 hearings, and was quickly stifled once Senator Nye (for whom the committee was named) accused President Wilson of withholding essential information from