AMERICA IN WWII THE HOMEFRONT MOBILIZATION FOR WAR

AMERICA IN WWII THE HOMEFRONT

MOBILIZATION FOR WAR � U. S. had the world’s 17 th largest military in 1939 • Mobilized itself for total war production almost overnight once the nation entered the war � Immediate conversion of peacetime industries into war production facilities • Toy companies manufactured compasses • Typewriter companies made rifles • Piano factories made airplane motors • Ford ceased producing cars & began turning out tanks and bombers

MILITARY BUILD-UP �U. S. became Allies biggest armaments supplier � 1940 -1945: U. S. war plants produced millions of planes, tanks, jeeps, & guns �Shipbuilders produced thousands of ships �Jobless sank to fewer than 700, 000 �Earnings nearly doubled • Typical factory worker $25 $47 • Working overtime & brought home fat checks

END OF THE WAR NUMBERS From 1940 until Japanese surrender, U. S. produced: • More than 300, 000 aircraft • 86, 333 tanks • 12. 5 million rifles • 107 aircraft carriers • 352 destroyers � By 1945, produced more than twice the war supplies of Germany, Italy, and Japan combined � At war’s end – military orders totaled $330 billion � National debt increased from $49 billion in 1941 to $259 billion in 1945 �

MIGRATION � 4 million people left their homes for other states with industry jobs • Gulf & Pacific coasts (shipbuilding) • Midwest & West (factories) �Government spent billions of dollars to build factories & military bases �Create industrial areas that will remain after WWII

FARMERS � Produced enough food to supply American people & Allies overseas

GOVERNMENT EXPANSION � Office of War Mobilization • Coordinated all government agencies involved in producing & distributing civilian goods � War Production Board • Directed conversions of existing factories to wartime production • Supervised building of new plants • Assigned raw materials • Coordinated production & distribution of consumer goods

WOMEN GO TO WORK More than 6 million women, half of whom had never earned money before join workforce � Government set up daycare centers for women whose husbands were serving in the war �

ROSIE THE RIVETER � Publicity campaign to encourage women to get jobs • More than 5 million women joined the labor force during the war Showed that it was NOT unfeminine to work & would make an important contribution to war effort � 1945 – average woman’s pay still less than 2/3 that of male �

SELECTIVE TRAINING & SERVICE ACT � 1940 – draft starts before attack on Pearl Harbor • 1 st peacetime draft • All men between the ages of 21 -37 (extended to 18 -37) � 16 million men & women served during WWII • 2/3 draftees • 300, 000 women • 72, 000 claimed “conscientious objection”

WOMEN IN THE MILITARY � WAACS, WASPS, WAVES, SPARS, & Marines permit women to join � Serve as nurses, office workers, drivers, and ferried planes � Freed men from active duty � ANC & NNC – tended to wounded soldiers overseas

RAISING MONEY � Government increased amount of money Americans had to pay in income taxes • Included most middle- & lower- income groups for 1 st time � War Bonds • Sold to control inflation

BEGINNING OF NATIONAL DEBT � 1941 = $49 billion; 1945 = $259 billion � 2/5 was pay as we go; 3/5 borrowed �New Deal + WWII = “warfare welfare” state

OFFICE OF WAR INFORMATION �Controlled the flow of news at home �Radio played wartime musical hits • “Bebop” music becomes popular • “White Christmas” • Ban certain programs, sound effects, sirens, etc.

PROMOTING THE WAR Government encouraged media to increase morale after unsuccessful start � Movies � • Movie stars advertised war bonds • Traveled overseas to entertain the troops • War movies produced – romanticized American & other Allied soldiers �Stereotyped Japanese, Germans, and Italians

PROPOGANDA � Comic books with patriotic themes � Slogans “Kick ‘Em in the Axis” became popular

CELEBRITIES IN THE SPOTLIGHT �A long list of actors fought in the war • Paul Newman • Kirk Douglas • Mel Brooks • Ed Mc. Mahon • Walter Matthau � Pinup Girls • Betty Grable • Rita Hayworth

CELEBRITY ENTERTAINERS � Bob Hope • Assembled celebrities to entertain the American troops under the USO � Glenn Miller joined Air Force and entertained the troops with orchestra � Frank Capra – Why We Fight Films

FAMOUS POLITICIANS Dwight Eisenhower � John Kennedy � Lyndon Johnson � Richard Nixon � Gerald Ford � Jimmy Carter � Ronald Reagan � George Bush � Bob Dole �

PATRIOTISM Plant victory gardens � Buy war bonds � Display window banners � Recycle scrap metal, fabric, and old tires � Cut back on travel � Begin singing “Star Spangled Banner” at beginning of all ball games �

RATIONING – OFFICE OF ECONOMIC STABILIZATION � Reduced demand by limiting what and how much people could buy � Cut civilian purchases needed for war effort • Gasoline, heating fuel, tires, coffee, sugar, meat, butter, canned goods � Given ration coupon books – distributed at schools

RATION BOOKS � “RED” Points – allowed 64 per month • Meat, butter, fat, etc. • Permitted people to buy about 2 lbs of meat per week � “BLUE” Points – allowed 48 per month • Processed foods � Tags with prices and point values found at the stores

WAR RATIONS BOOK

DEMAND FOR RATIONS BOOK � Government imposed a national speed limit • Average person entitled to 4 gallons per week • People who needed cars for work were given more • No limit placed on those who provided essential services, such as doctors � Large black market grew with stolen and counterfeited ration cards, stamps & gas stickers

WAR ON THE HOMEFRONT � Behind each soldier are hundreds of civilian workers � Depression was over � Full employment was reality � Confidence in victory was strong