1. Second World War

2. -played a key role in the successful D-Day landings of June 1944
-played a key role in the successful D-Day landings of June The Supreme Commander was an American (Dwight D. Eisenhower)
-The allies, along with a strong American military presence, advanced on Germany
- Battle of Midway saw US fleet defeat it's Japanese counterpart
-USA focused on regaining lost territory using strategy of island hopping
-Japan repeatedly refused surrender
- President Truman made decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
- this brought an end to the war in the Pacific.
The role of the US

3. Impact of World War 2 Political Effects
Smith Act made it illegal to threaten to overthrow US government. Originally aimed at fascism, was later used against communists
-Selective Service act of 1940 introduced conscription
-Office of war mobilization controlled the supply of goods and prices
-National war Labor board set wages whilst the War Management Commission recruited workers where needed.
-Office of Scientific Research and Development created new weapons as well as making life saving medical advancements
-1941 Office of Price Administration and Civilian Supply to control inflation. Had the power to control all prices. In 1942 a General Maximum Price was issued that froze prices and prevented inflation.
90% of food items were subject to price controls
Impact of World War 2

4. Impact of World War 2 Economic Effects
nearly 9 million were still out of work. As the war progressed unemployment decreased. 6.5 million women entered the workforce. By the end of the war almost 60% of women were employed
-unemployment stood at 14.6% in 1940, falling to 1.2% in 1944
-war production stimulated the economy. The USA produced 86,000 tanks, 296,000 aircraft and 15 million rifles
-farm income rose by 250%
-although prices rose by 28% during the war, average wages increased by 40%
-items such as meat, sugar and petrol were rationed
- GNP rose from $91.3 billion in 1939 to $166.6 billion by 1945
-national debt rose from $41 billion in 1941 to $260 billion by 1945
-highest earners paid 94% tax
Impact of World War 2

5. Impact of World War 2 Social Effects Treatment of Japanese Americans
Despite no official desire to resort to internment, increasing fears of a Japanese attack led to thousands of Japanese Americans being rounded up.
General Dewitt gave into pressure from calls for internment, claiming it was impossible to distinguish from loyal and traitorous Japanese and therefore all should be locked up
100,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly sent to a group of ten 'relocation centres' in the West
Since they had to leave their property unprotected, it is estimated the Japanese American community suffered losses worth $400 million due to looting.
Riots in the relocation centre at Manzanar left two inmates dead
Impact of World War 2

6. Impact of World War 2 Social Effects Women
In 1944 there was a height of 19 million female workers. They were often seen as inferior to the men that had left the jobs in the first place
One in three aircraft workers were women. 
Half of those working in electronics and munitions were women
A Gallup poll in 1942 showed 60% of Americans were in favour of women helping in the war industries
However, women earned around 50-60% of a man's wage
Average weekly wage for a woman was $31.21 compared to $56.65 for a man
Also, a woman could still be dismissed from a job as soon as she married
Impact of World War 2

7. Impact of World War 2 Social Effects African Americans
-in 1940, there were 12.9 million AA's in the USA, 5.4 million of which were unemployed.
-the average annual wage for a black male was $537, half that of their white counterparts
-whites benefited largely from the job opportunities created by the war, not African Americans
-a survey showed more than half of the defence industries would not employ African Americans
Double V Campaign-created by American newspaper 'Pittsburgh courier'. Pushed for victory at home in improving civil rights as well as abroad against fascism and dictatorship. The newspaper published articles, letters and photographs in support of the campaign. The effect was immediate in raising the profile of civil rights
Impact of World War 2

8. Impact of World War 2 Social Effects African Americans
March on Washington Movement- Organised by A. Phillip Randolph as he felt outraged with the discrimination in war industries and the US armed forces. Aim was to bring about immediate change by making it impossible for US to continue discrimination whilst sustaining image of the upholder of liberty and democracy.
Roosevelt was worried the march would discredit the country. Eventually a compromise was reached. Randolph would call off the march and Roosevelt set up the FEPC (fair employment practices commission)
The FEPC investigated about 8000 instances of discrimination and was successful with 66% of its cases in the North-east and 55% in the West.
Impact of World War 2

9. Impact of World War 2 Social Effects African Americans
The Armed Forces-
Many were enlisted in what became known as the Jim Crow army (given inferior training, few recreational facilities and faced discrimination and violence)
African American soldiers performed menial, non-combat tasks (such as cooking or delivering supplies)
As late as 1943, only 79,000 out of a total 504,000 African American soldiers were overseas simply as they were unwanted
In 1940, FDR ordered the air corps to recruit an all African American flying unit and by pilots were trained.
Impact of World War 2

10. Impact of World War 2 Social Effects African Americans The Navy-
-African American sailors were given the most dangerous job of loading ammunition onto ships
-at port Chicago in California in July 1944, the ammunition detonated whilst being loaded onto the ship. 323 people were killed (mostly African American)
Hundreds of African American sailors went on strike the following month. The protest against dangerous working conditions was referred to as the Port Chicago Mutiny. 50 were arrested
This contributed to the desegregation of the force in 1946
Impact of World War 2