Inadequate Defense Infrastructure: The United States lacked a comprehensive defense infrastructure to support war efforts. Arsenals, shipyards, foundries, and other industrial facilities were limited and needed expansion to meet the war's demands.
Limited Industrial Capacity: Prior to World War I, the United States had a primarily agrarian economy and a relatively small-scale industrial sector compared to industrialized European nations. Converting to a wartime economy capable of mass-producing munitions and supplies proved challenging.
Unresolved Civil War Tensions: Sectional differences and lingering sentiments from the American Civil War hindered national unity and consensus on entering the war. Some regions and political factions were reluctant to support war efforts, while others were more enthusiastic.
Conscription (Draft) Resistance: Conscription was enforced to bolster the number of soldiers in the army, but it faced opposition and resistance from various segments of society. Some groups resisted serving while others questioned the fairness of the draft process.
Financing the War: Raising funds to finance the war required significant efforts through loans, issuing government bonds, and implementing new or increased taxes. Balancing wartime expenditure with public resources posed economic challenges.
Insufficient Logistics and Transportation: Moving troops, supplies, and equipment across the Atlantic to the European theater posed logistical challenges. America needed to build up its merchant marine capabilities and secure safe passages from potential enemy threats.
Allied Coordination: Entering a major global conflict also involved complexities of collaborating and coordinating strategies with its wartime allies, such as Britain, France, and, later on, other involved nations. Coordinating operations, objectives, and resource allocation required diplomatic finesse and efficient military collaboration.
These challenges had to be tackled swiftly and effectively as the country geared up for a large-scale military engagement for the first time since the Civil War.