3. The Color-Coded War Plans
The U.S. military’s “color-coded” plans were a comprehensive approach to national defense. Each major potential adversary was assigned a color—Britain became Red, Japan was Orange, Germany was Black, and so on. War Plan Red was just one piece of this elaborate framework, reflecting the era’s obsession with preparedness for any threat. These plans were regularly updated and discussed at the highest military levels (via National Archives).
