In May 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt faced the daunting challenge of preparing a technologically lagging America for modern mechanized warfare following Hitler's invasion of France. FDR turned to Bill Knudsen, the Danish-born CEO of General Motors

In May 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt faced the daunting challenge of preparing a technologically lagging America for modern mechanized warfare following Hitler's invasion of France. FDR turned to Bill Knudsen, the Danish-born CEO of General Motors, who had a background as a heavyweight boxer and a veteran of the Fordassembly lines. Knudsen was a master of flexible mass production, a technique he perfected at Chevrolet that allowed for model changes without halting the entire assembly line. Unlike 19th-century methods, Knudsen's approach focused on a continuous flow of production and integrating new technologies into existing workflows. He was tasked with transforming the civilian economy—then focused on cars and refrigerators—into an "Arsenal of Democracy" capable of producing tanks, planes, and artillery at an unprecedented scale. This mobilization was not just about technology, but about Knudsen's belief that American industry could achieve the impossible when directed toward a single, patriotic goal. (1/4)
1935