WWII: The Home front

Just like in WWI, the govt Just like in WWI, the govt. created special agencies to mobilize economic and military resources War Production Board (WPB) managed war industries Office of War Mobilization (OWM) set production priorities, controlled raw materials Office of Price Administration (OPA) regulated almost every aspect of citizens’ lives Froze prices, wages, rents Rationed meat, gas, tires, sugar Mobilization

Mobilization Federal spending increased 1000% between 1939-1945 GDP grew by 15% or more each year during that time WWII proved what the New Deal could not: the govt. could spend its way out of a depression National debt reached $250 billion Five times what it was in 1941 Mobilization

U.S. industries during the war far exceeded the production and profits of the 1920s 1944: unemployment virtually disappears War-related industrial output in the U.S. alone was twice that of all the Axis powers combined The war concentrated production in the largest corporations 100 largest corporations accounted for 70% of wartime manufacturing Business & Industry

Research & Development Office of Research and Development established to contract scientists and universities to help develop new technologies Radar and sonar Medicines Jet engines Rockets The Manhattan Project Many European scientists who fled Fascist persecution were the same ones who would contribute to its defeat After the war, many Nazi scientists were recruited by the U.S. government for R&D purposes Research & Development

Financing the War Govt. paid for its huge increase in spending by: Increasing the income tax Selling war bonds For the first time, most Americans were required to pay an income tax Shortage of consumer goods made it easier for Americans to save Financing the War

Few people opposed the war- propaganda was intended to maintain public morale Encourage people to conserve resources and industries to increase production Office of War Information controlled news about troop movements and battle Movies, radio, popular music all supported/were patriotic of the war Wartime propaganda

The War’s impact on society: African Americans 1.5 million African Americans left the south, over a million went to serve Still faced discrimination and segregation Civil rights leaders adopted the “Double V” slogan- victory over fascism abroad and victory for equality at home Membership of the NAACP increased and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) was established in 1942 After threats of a protest march on D.C., Roosevelt issued an executive order prohibiting discrimination in government and in businesses receiving federal contracts The War’s impact on society: African Americans

The War’s Impact on Society: Mexican Americans Many worked in the defense industries, over 300,000 served in the military 1942 agreement allowed Mexican farmworkers to enter the U.S. during the harvest season without going through formal immigration Sudden influx of Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles led to the so-called Zoot Suit Riots in the summer of 1943 The War’s Impact on Society: Mexican Americans

The War’s Impact on Society: Native Americans Approx. 250,000 served in the military Thousands more served in defense industries Many were recruited as code talkers, helping the U.S. communicate sensitive information to the Allies during the war The War’s Impact on Society: Native Americans

The War’s Impact on Society: Japanese Americans 20,000 served loyally in the military Suffered from their association with a wartime enemy Suspected of being spies and saboteurs Many people feared a Japanese invasion of the West Coast The War’s Impact on Society: Japanese Americans

The War’s Impact on Society: Japanese Americans 1942: these irrational fears over the Japanese led the U.S. govt. to order over 100,000 Japanese Americans on the West Coast into internment camps Nearly all were native-born Americans, and had no political or military ties to the Japanese Empire In Korematsu v. U.S. (1944), the Supreme Court upheld Japanese internment as justified in wartime 1988: U.S. govt. formally apologizes and agrees the ruling was unjust, awards living citizens and their families financial compensation The War’s Impact on Society: Japanese Americans

The War’s Impact on Society: Women Over 200,000 served in noncombat roles in the military A labor shortage created by men leaving for war caused many women to take these vacated jobs 5 million entered the workforce, especially in industrial jobs Married women in the workforce increased to 24% Still received pay well below male factory workers The War’s Impact on Society: Women

Many people felt in a war emergency, there should be no change in leadership Roosevelt receives the Democratic nomination for a fourth time Roosevelt chose a new vice presidential running mate in Harry S. Truman Roosevelt’s health problems are becoming more uncertain by this time Election of 1944

Republican candidate Thomas Dewey couldn’t offer any real alternative to FDR’s leadership or popularity FDR won 53% of the popular vote and an overwhelming majority of the electoral vote (432-99) FDR was elected to an unprecedented fourth term, but would only live for less than three months after his inauguration Election of 1944

What happened to the economy during the war What happened to the economy during the war? What was business and industry like? What was wartime propaganda intended to do? How did Native Americans contribute to the war effort? What happened to thousands of native-born Japanese Americans during the war? What did the Supreme Court decide in Korematsu v. U.S. (1944)? Why was the election of 1944 significant? ?