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> The US government even ordered Lockheed to cease work on their jet engine and concentrate on piston engines

It's not obvious that this was the wrong answer. The Germans were the first to field a combat jet aircraft, but it didn't help them much. The U.S. didn't really need the help, by 1942 it was already producing twice as many aircraft as Germany and Japan combined.

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The point is, government action was not the cause of the jet revolution.

Wasn't it? According to Wikipedia the Me-262 project "originated with a request by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM, Ministry of Aviation) for a jet aircraft capable of one hour's endurance and a speed of at least 850 km/h (530 mph; 460 kn)"

I think the real answer is "it's complicated." The jet revolution was not a single point event, and both government and private industry played a role.

Heinkel demonstrated flying jet aircraft to Hitler beforehand. The 262's engines were a direct descendant of Heinkel's.

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