Mobilizing for Modern War: The Political Economy of American Warfare, 1865-1919 [Hardcover]

Paul A. C. Koistinen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0700608605 | ISBN-13: 978-0700608607 | Publication Date: November 15, 1997

In this volume, Paul Koistinen examines war planning and mobilizing in an era of rapid industrialization and reveals how economic mobilization for defense and war is shaped at the national level by the interaction of political, economic, and military institutions and by increasingly powerful and expensive weaponry. The book covers the Gilded Age and Progressive Era through the Spanish-American War and World War I.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"With this volume, Koistinen hits his stride in conveying his mastery of the history of the political economy of American warfare and military institutions. His work will long remain the principal authoritative study of American economic mobilization for World War I and its long-run impact and implications."--Russell F. Weigley, author of The American Way of War

"A real tour de force. Based on prodigious research, this book provides a thorough and insightful account of the material basis for the United States military in one of the most important periods in American history."--John Whiteclay Chambers II, author of To Raise an Army

"This fascinating analysis of the political economy of warfare in the United States during the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, and World War I is a major contribution to our understanding of the forces that have shaped American society. It is part of a monumental study of the origins and development of the military-industrial complex. For military historians, economic historians, and scholars of United States history, the notes alone are worth the price of the book."--Ronald Schaffer, author of America in the Great War

"A most impressive book. I am awed by Koistinen's grand design and outstanding research. When completed, this series will be one of the most distinguished feats of scholarship of our time."--Edward M. Coffman, author of The War to End All Wars

About the Author

Paul A. C. Koistinen is professor of history at California State University-Northridge. His other books include Beating Plowshares into Swords: The Political Economy of American Warfare, 1606-1865; Planning War, Pursuing Peace: The Political Economy of American Warfare, 1920-1939; and The Military-Industrial Complex.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: University Press Of Kansas (November 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0700608605
• ISBN-13: 978-0700608607
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,129,410 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An must for any WWI buff..., January 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mobilizing for Modern War: The Political Economy of American Warfare, 1865-1919 (Hardcover)

Koistinen's look at the economic and military powerhouse that the United States became during the years before World War I was done with style and economy. This view of history is an import part of the military that is often over looked by other accounts of the same period. The story of individual personalities however romantic they may be is incomplete with the information presented by Koistinen. Koistinen's writing keeps the reader interested with the use of in depth descriptions gained through the use of many different resources. He does cover the role of the WIB, and J.P. Morgan and company in depth, and almost to the point of exhausting the topic. I would have liked reading more about how all the policy changes effected the lower enlisted man's life. Other than what I mentioned above I think the book is necessary read for anyone that intends to study WWI with any seriousness. It completes the typical military history of battles and generals with the story of the battles ship builders and steel mill owners fought at home.

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't fight a war without a strong economy, December 15, 2008

By 

Michael A Neulander "Political Philosophy" (VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mobilizing for Modern War: The Political Economy of American Warfare, 1865-1919 (Hardcover)

This was required reading for a graduate course in the history of American military affairs. Paul A. C. Koistenen's life long work in America's economic policies in all her wars is an essential aspect of history that every historian should fully understand. Koistenen's book Mobilizing for War: The Political Economy of American Warfare, 1865-1919 looks in depth at how the Wilson administration instituted new government programs to effectively prosecute the war, which left long lasting effects on the American economy propelling the nation into the "modern age." "Inevitably, the federal government would assume increased economic authority; public powers would touch private enterprise in myriad new ways...The Wilson administration had modernized the nation's banking structure when in 1914 it brought the Federal Reserve System into being." One of the most important creations of the Wilson administration was that of the War Industries Board (WIB) soon after America's entry into the war. "Through the board, centralized control over a planned economy was established and carried out by representatives of the government, the business community, and the military." The financier Bernard M. Baruch, who coincidentally later became part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's economic "brain trust" in World War II, chaired the WIB. Koistenen's book is an indispensable reference for studying America's economic policies during all its wars. Koistenen astutely argued that, "The World War I mobilization experience left an indelible imprint on twentieth-century life...It also sped the transformation in civil-military relations that modern warfare made necessary and introduced the idea and practice of industrial preparedness."

Recommended reading for anyone interested in American history.

4.0 out of 5 stars Economy of Warfare 1865-1919, November 10, 2006

By 

G. thompson (LA, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mobilizing for Modern War: The Political Economy of American Warfare, 1865-1919 (Hardcover)

Overall I though the book was very good. Well researched and well written.
However, the author spends too much time on the exact organization of each goverment agency. This is somewhat tedious. It causes you to loose track of what the author is trying to get at. Also, like many academics, the author has a very condescending attitude towards ordinary people. By this I mean that he always seems to think that every new government agency, law, or reguation is absoutley good and that people will just have to get used to it.

I would highly recommed this book and the others in the series to anyone who wants to know how the goverment manages defending the nation at various times in it's history.