MOBILIZING FOR DEFENSE

After Pearl Harbor…After Pearl Harbor…

Japan thought America would Japan thought America would avoidavoid further further conflictconflict Japan Times Japan Times said America was said America was

“trembling in their shoes”“trembling in their shoes”

““Remember Pearl Harbor” was Remember Pearl Harbor” was America’s America’s rallyingrallying cry cry

Americans Rush to EnlistAmericans Rush to Enlist

5 5 millionmillion Americans enlisted after Americans enlisted after Pearl HarborPearl Harbor

Selective ServiceSelective Service expanded the draft expanded the draft Eventually provided extra 10 million Eventually provided extra 10 million

soldierssoldiers

World War II Recruitment Posters

Women Join the FightWomen Join the Fight

George Marshall pushed for formation of George Marshall pushed for formation of Women’s Women’s AuxiliaryAuxiliary Army Corp (WAAC) Army Corp (WAAC)

Women worked in Women worked in non-combatnon-combat roles roles NursesNurses Ambulance DriversAmbulance Drivers Radio OperatorsRadio Operators PilotsPilots

Women’s Roles in

World War II

All Americans FoughtAll Americans Fought

Despite Despite discriminationdiscrimination at home, minority at home, minority populations contributed to the war effortpopulations contributed to the war effort 1 million African Americans1 million African Americans 300,000 Mexican Americans300,000 Mexican Americans 33,000 Japanese Americans33,000 Japanese Americans 25,000 Native Americans25,000 Native Americans 13,000 Chinese Americans13,000 Chinese Americans

A Production MiracleA Production Miracle

Americans converted the Americans converted the autoauto industry into industry into war industrywar industryNation’s auto plants began to produce:Nation’s auto plants began to produce: TanksTanks PlanesPlanes BoatsBoats Command carsCommand cars

Many other Many other industriesindustries also converted to also converted to war-related supplieswar-related supplies

American Factories

Labor’s ContributionLabor’s Contribution

By 1944, nearly By 1944, nearly 1818 million million workers were laboring in war workers were laboring in war industriesindustries 3 times the number in 19413 times the number in 1941

More than 6 million were More than 6 million were womenwomen and nearly 2 million were and nearly 2 million were minoritiesminorities

Mobilization of ScientistsMobilization of Scientists

In 1941, FDR created the Office of In 1941, FDR created the Office of Scientific Research and Development to Scientific Research and Development to bring bring scientistsscientists into the war effort into the war effort Focused on radar and sonar to locate Focused on radar and sonar to locate

submarinessubmarines

Also the scientists worked on penicillin and Also the scientists worked on penicillin and pesticidespesticides like DDT like DDT

Office of Scientific Research and Development

Manhattan ProjectManhattan Project

Most important achievement of OSRD was Most important achievement of OSRD was the secret development of the the secret development of the atomic atomic bombbomb

EinsteinEinstein wrote to FDR warning him that wrote to FDR warning him that Germany was attempting to develop such Germany was attempting to develop such a weapona weapon

Code used to describe American efforts to Code used to describe American efforts to build the bomb was “build the bomb was “Manhattan ProjectManhattan Project””

Einstein’s Letter to FDR

Federal Gov’t Takes Control of Federal Gov’t Takes Control of InflationInflation

With the price of With the price of goodsgoods threatening to threatening to riserise out of control, FDR created Office out of control, FDR created Office of Price Administrationof Price Administration

OPA froze prices on most goods and OPA froze prices on most goods and encouraged purchase of war bonds to encouraged purchase of war bonds to fight fight inflationinflation

War Production BoardWar Production Board

To ensure troops had ample To ensure troops had ample resourcesresources, FDR created WPB, FDR created WPB

WPB decided which companies WPB decided which companies would convert to would convert to wartimewartime production production Also decided how to Also decided how to allocateallocate raw raw

materials to those industriesmaterials to those industries

Collection DrivesCollection Drives

WPB also organized WPB also organized nationwidenationwide drives to drives to collect:collect: Scrap iron and tin cansScrap iron and tin cans Paper, rags, and cooking fat Paper, rags, and cooking fat

Additionally, the OPA set up a system of Additionally, the OPA set up a system of rationingrationing Households had allocations of Households had allocations of scarcescarce goods goods

—gas, meat, shoes, sugar, coffee, etc.—gas, meat, shoes, sugar, coffee, etc.

Rationing Coupons