Theme 3.4 - The War and the economy 1941-45

Question 1

Give an example of an agency responsible for the facilitation of economic expansion after the war

Answer 1

Office of War mobilization

Question 2

What proportion of the population moved to work in war industries?

Answer 2

12%

Question 3

How many tanks did the USA produce between 1941-45?

Answer 3

86,000

Question 4

What happened to farmers income as a result of WW2?

Answer 4

Increased by 250%

Question 5

What happened to production in farms during WW2?

Answer 5

Increased by 25% - More produced as more was needed

Question 6

What was unemployment like in 1944 compared to that in 1940?

Answer 6

1944 - 1.2% 1940 - 13.9%

Question 7

What proportion of America was unemployed in 1944?

Answer 7

1.2%

Question 8

How many women entered the workforce in 1944?

Answer 8

6.5 million

Question 9

What proportion of women were employed by the end of the war?

Answer 9

Almost 60%

Question 10

What happened to the employment of Black Americans working for the federal government in 1939 compared to 1944?

Answer 10

1939 - 50,000 1944 - 200,000

Question 11

How many black people moved to cities between 1940-1944?

Answer 11

5 million - millions finding jobs in the defence plants

Question 12

What happened to the GNP between 1939-45?

Answer 12

Rose from $91.3 billion in 1939 to $166.6 billion in 1945

Question 13

What proportion of teenage boys found work in some capacity?

Answer 13

66%

Question 14

How did the war affect the number of teenagers in the workplace?

Answer 14

Increased by 1.9 million teenagers.

1940 - 900,000 14-18-year-olds employed.

Spring 1944 - 3 million (1/3 of the age group)

Question 15

How did the war affect teenagers in schools?

Answer 15

Fell from 6.6 million in 1940 to 5.6 million in 1944.

Seen as irrelevant in the uncertain times of the wartime world.

Led to the 1944 - back to school drive

Question 16

How did the national debt change between 1941 and 1945?

Answer 16

1941 - $41 billion

1945 - $260 billion

Spent twice as much between 1941-1945 as the previous 150 years.

Question 17

What was tax like on incomes over $200,000?

Answer 17

94% tax.

Question 18

How did the number of taxpayers change between 1940-1945?

Answer 18

1940 - 7 million

1944 - 42 million.

Question 19

What proportion of government income was from war bonds?

Answer 19

50%

They were enthusiastically promoted by celebrities on nationwide tours.

Question 20

What did the Smith Act do?

Answer 20

• 1940
• made illegal to threaten to overthrow the government

Question 21

What did the Selective Service Act do?

Answer 21

• 1940
• introducing conscription initially men 21-35
• extended to men 18-45 after the outbreak of war

Question 22

When and why was the Office of War Mobilisation set up?

Answer 22

• May 1943
• control production, food prices and rents.
• Rationed meat, sugar and petrol
• car production stopped
• clothes were simplifies and restricted

Question 23

How were average incomes effected by WW2?

Answer 23

• wages doubled 24% - 44%
• prices of products increased 28%
• 1945 - nationally people had saved $140 billion

Question 24

Give 4 examples of agencies the government set up

Answer 24

1. Office of War Mobilisation - controlling production from 1943
2. War production Board - 1941 - supervising $183 billion worth of weapons and supplies - 40% of world supply
3. Office of Price Administration and Civilian Supply - 1941 to control inflation - 1942 set up General Maximum Price regulation - 90% food was subject to price controls
4. National War Labor Board - 1942 - settle industrial disputes and determine wages said rises shouldn’t exceed 15% - Furthered by Emergency Stabilisation Act - trying to limit rise offering holidays and other benefits.

Question 25

How many servicemen and women were called to find work?

Answer 25

* 15 million * By end of war 1/8 had moved to find work - most south to north. * Estimated 27 million moved during the war. * rural populations decreased. - 29% * Eg. California pop rose 72%

Question 26

How was the divorce rate affected by the war?

Answer 26

rose 20%

Question 27

How many dropped out of high school due to the war?

Answer 27

1 million betweem 1940-44 In need of work and a general fear of the loss of deference

Question 28

Explain the baby boom during WW2

Answer 28

* Population rose by 6.5 million * Furlough babies - the result of servicemen on leave

Question 29

How were labour unions effected by WW2?

Answer 29

* **Membership rose 10.5 million to 14.75 million** * American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organisation supported the war effector * Agreeing non-binding pledges would help avoid strikes. * So any industrial disputes to be taken to the **National war Labor Board.** * 400,000 coal miners went on 12-week strike. * combatted by **Smith-Connally War Labour Disputes Act** - 1943 - allow gov to control essential industry

Question 30

Give an example of new industries within America

Answer 30

* Japan had cut off 90% of USA supply to natural rubber * So 1944 USA converted petrol to synthetic rubber * By 1945 - 51 plants were in operation * By the end of the war USA became the largest exporter of synthetic rubber in the world.

Question 31

How did the Pharmaceutical industry change due to WW2?

Answer 31

* **1942** - government gave **60 companies funding** to begin mass production of **penicillin** * Became most profitable in the world * Firm **Pfizer** - developed fermentation technique using huge tanks * When factor opened in Brooklyn they produce more penicillin in one month than they had in the previous year.

Question 32

Give examples of the growth of the military-industrial complex during WW2

Answer 32

* National income from 1.5% in 1937 to 50% in 1945. * As 2/3 steel mills were idle they had the capacity for growth * 33% economy devoted to war production * supply 50% all weaponry to allies * in 1943 Tehran Conference Jospeh Stalin acknowledge the war would have been lost without US weaponry. * Car production shift to planes and tanks - Detroit produced 20% aircraft engines.