Prelude to War ( ) German leader Adolf Hitler believed that only the “Aryans” were capable of building a great civilization Hitler wanted revisions on the Versailles treaty to achieve Germany’s rightful place among the European states Hitler broke the rules of the treaty which did not please the French or British

The Path to War in Europe, Austria is taken over by the Nazis Blitzkrieg (lightning war) proved to be efficient for Germans France and Britain declare war on September 3, 1939 The problem of Britain Invasion of the Soviet union

The U.S. Position on War Franklin Roosevelt’s position on international affairs The U.S. watched from the sidelines German and Japanese aggression The Good Neighbor Policy Most Americans condemned German aggression and favored Britain and France, but isolationism remained powerful Lend-Lease Act (1941) Attack at Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7, 1941)

The U.S. Enters the War More than 16 million men and women served in uniform during the war Women were barred from combat duty but worked at every non combatant task Conversion to a war economy The war effort mobilized Americans as never before

Women’s Role During the War The tapping of millions of men into the armed forces left factories begging for women workers The title of the song “Rosie the Riveter” was a catch phrase that represented all women war workers During WWII, more than 6 million women joined the workforce

Women Air Force Service Pilots The WASP Program By the end of the war, women working outside the home numbered 18 million Contributing to the war effort also paid off in wages to women The war influenced how families spent their earnings

Coast Guard SPARs (United States Coast Guard Women's Reserve) recruiting pamphlet

The American Magazine of 1945 shows that women can be soldiers and feminine

Women were initially barred from supervisory positions, jobs requiring physical strength, or work in conditions "improper for women." But as the first recruits proved their worth, the Army tried to enlist as many as 1.5 million women. These ambitious recruiting goals were never met despite an intensive public education program to prove to a skeptical public that servicewomen were pretty, feminine, capable, and absolutely necessary to help the men and the nation win the war.

Members of the Nurse Corps served in the United States and throughout the world wherever American soldiers were

"Your Country Needs You: Women Wanted for the Essential Civilian Industries," published by the Women’s Bureau of the Department of Labor 1943

Women on the assembly lines produced aircraft, engines, tanks, and trucks