IMPACT OF WW2
- Created by: grace
- Created on: 14-05-13 17:11
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- Impact of World War 2
- Machinery of Government
- Demands of WW2 intensified pressure for Federal and President activity
- War Powers Act- gave Roosevelt the authority to lead the nation in a total war.
- PENTAGON - military HQ where all departments were in easy reach of one another
- Office of Price Administration was set up to manage the war economy - employed 73,000 people
- Dramatic increase in government control of economy and society
- Massive increase in federal expenditure - budget rose from $5bn to $97bn with $90bn being spent on the war
- This increase of spending meant a rise in taxes and a crack down on paying it. By 1945 40 million people were paying income tax, which had risen from 4 million in 1940
- The highest rate of taxation was 94%. 40% of war costs were paid by taxes
- Economy
- To help the international situation the Neutrality Acts of 1935 and 37 were modified in 1939 to allow any nation to buy arms on a cash and carry basis
- Created an army of a million, doubled the size of the navy and increased the airforce to 8000 combats
- Produced 6 more million tons of steel than Germany, but 2/3 of steel plants were idle.
- By the time Germany declared war on USA, unemployment was at around 14%. By 1943 it was 2%
- GNP grew from $91 bn to 214bn by 1945
- There was some fundamental change with private manufactures now making tanks and plants designed for fridge production made munitions instead.
- A lot of government investment. For example 51 new rubber plants were constructed.
- Gearing up for War
- Henry Kaiser designed the Liberty Ship which was 440 ft long and could hole 3,000 jeeps, and 400 tanks
- Henry Ford was responsible for the largest aircraft factory with an assembly line of over 1600 meters. By 1944 ten bombers a day were being produced.
- By 1942 the USA was building nearly 50,000 aircraft and 25,000 tanks. by 1944 this grew to nearly 100,000 aircraft, 600,000 army trucks.
- Impact on Society
- Most dramatic result was the collapse of unemployment of 9 million in 1940 to 780,000 in 1943.
- Number of women in work grew by 50%
- Bottom fifth of society saw their income rise by 70% but their share of nation income grow from 4% to 5%
- Richest 5% saw their share of national income drop from 26% to 16%
- Areas of the south transformed with hundreds of thousands share cropper farmers and poor tenant farmers leaving for the North cities or west coast. 10% of people moved states, 20% moved location.
- Over a million black people left the south to move to places like Detroit and work in war industries.
- Farm incomes quadrupled.
- Life expectancy increase by three years. Infant mortality dropped by a 1/3
- There were nearly 300,000 battle deaths but the population grew due to a soaring birth rate and earlier marriages
- Number of women in work rose from 11 million to 20 million, and from low paid jobs to better paid jobs. Female workers in the car industry rose from 5% of the workforce to 20% by 1945 and in electrical manufacturing it was 50%.
- Most women ended up doubling as housewives and workers due to poor childcare and low wages.
- Machinery of Government
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