3.4 To what extent did ww2 affect the performance of the economy 1941-45 Flashcards
(20 cards)
how did the war affect GNP
in 1940, it was 99.7 billion
in 1945 it was 211 billion
by 1947, how was the usa dominating the world economy
-producing 57% of the worlds steel
-43% of the worlds electricity
-62% of the worlds oil
- was the global economic power
how did the federal government finaince the war
-had to raise taxes
-tax revenue raised 137 billion of the total cost of war of 304 billion
-to cover the short fall of 167 billion, the US treasury used war bonds
-bonds would repay the purchaser with an interest rate of 2.9% after 10 years
-by the end of the war, 85 million americans had purchased war bonds and had raised 185 billion
how had unemployment changed 1940-45
-1940, unemployment had fallen to 8 million, 14.6% of the workforce
-by 1945, unemployment had fallen to one million, 1.9% of the workforce
-by conscripting nearly 12 million men amd placing the economy on the war footing, FDR had brought unrivalled prosperity
-war created 17 million new jobs with the average wage rising 30%
how did the war see a drop in wealth inequality
-the share of national wealth owned by the top 5% of earners dropped from 24% to16.8%
how were women affected by the war
-100,000 serving in the women’s army corps
-others joined the navy and air force
in all, 350,000 served in the armed forces
-6 million women entered the workforce for the first time and by the wars end 18 million had worked
how did women become involved in tradiitonally male dominated industries
-doing welding,machining, building aircraft and repairing tanks
-manufacturing explosivess such as shells and bombs - caused 200,000 to be permanently disabled and 37,000 to die
what expectation remained of women
-women with husbands overseas were still expected to look after their families
-they received less pay than men for doing the same job eg, in 1944, the average eage for a woman was 31 dollars a week compared to 54 a week for a man
-with the help of the FEPC black american women were able to get work too, but for even less pay
how was female independence in earning a wage shortlived
-they were all expected to give up their wartime work once the war had ended, leaving jobs open for returning armed servicemen
how did young people contribute to the war effort
-20 million became junior members of the american red cross producing toys, clothing and furniture and putting on entertainment programmes at military camps and hospitals
-many others joined the workforce to fill the void left by adults in agriculture and industry
how did young people play a part in civil defence
-young civil defence volunteers engaged in coast watching and watching for enemy aircraft
-on the west coast, fears of a japanese invasion began with the attack on pearl harbour in december 1941
-on the east coast, volunteers watched for german U-boat activity
-by mid 1942, the US civil defence organisation had 10 million volunteers, the vast majority being young people
which legislation aided the trade union movement
-in 1933, the section 7a of the national industrial recovery act gave unions the right to collective bargaining, even though this was declared as unconstitutional, the 1935 wagner act ensured the trade unions kept this power
how did trade union membership change 1930-45 and why
1930, 3.4million
1935, 3.5 million
1940, 8,7 million
1945 14.3 million
-due to the unionisation of semi skilled and unskilled workers
-in 1936 these unions formed the congress of industrial organisations
how did the war increase trade union membership
-when the war began, government and businesses needed every worker they could get
-11.8million of the potential workforce was away in the armed forces
-when the war broke out, most unions agreed with FDR’s call for a no strike agreement
-the war labour board introduced a maintenance of membership policy where every employee at a unionised workplace had to join the union
what labour problems occurred during the war
-unofficial strikes became a problem from 1942
-the most important union of the CIO, the united mine workers of america’s leader Jon Lewis tried to raise coal miners wages but faced opposition from the war labour board. Lewis left the CIO and rejoined the RFL
-in 1943 alone, Lewis called the 500.000 strong UMWA out on strike four times
what did Lewis and Ickes do
-in november 1943, they signed an agreement that broke the war labour boards attempt to limit pay rises as an attempt to stop inflation
-sooon other major unions demamded the same treatment
-by the wars end, union member wages across the USA had shown a marked increase
what new industry was the most innovative and significant
-the programme to produce the worlds first atomic weapon, known as the manhatten project, employed the words top scientists outside of nazi germany and the USSR
-cost 2 billion
-employed more than 100,000 in facilities such as Oak Ridge, Tennessee where the bombs were constructed
how did the aircraft industry help the growth of the war economy as a whole
-aircraft production was the largest single section of the war economy, costing 45 billion, almost a quarter of all the money spent on military production
-production of the B29 Boeing superfortress bomber, delivered the two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
-cost 3 billion and employed hundreds of thousands
-overall, 125,000 aircraft were built during the war, employing 2 million
how did technological advancements mirror ship production
-the us devised a new prefabricated way of making merchant ships known as liberty ships, which could be built in two days rather than months
-5777 ships built in ww2at a cost of 13 billion
-most significant ship built was the aircraft carrier which formed the mainstay of the naval war in the pacific and helped defeat german u boats in the battle of the atlantic
what did these war industries stimulate
-the development of electronics, radio communications, new methods of construction and weaponry
-led to growing independence between the US industry, the US government and military production, which became a dominant feature of the cold war after 1945
