Letting go of isolationism America seemed vulnerable as Hitler unleashed his air force on Britain US Army reduced to smaller force following WWI 1939 numbered only 175,000 16 th in the world behind Romania FDR called for a military buildup and the production of 50,000 combat planes a year By October 1940, Congress had voted $17 billion for defense FDR began to act more boldly in support for Britain Public still staunchly isolationist June 1940, FDR set up the National Defense Research Committee to coordinate military research, including initial research into an atomic bomb September 16, FDR asked for the first peacetime conscription Required the registration of all 16 million men aged 21 to 35 to register for a year's military service within the US
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