THE UNITED STATES AT WAR

FOCUS QUESTION:What would the United States have to do to prepare for this?

FOCUS QUESTION:What would the United States have to do to prepare for this?

SPLENDID ISOLATIONU.S. retreated to isolationism after WWI

• U.S. disgust with the war• Strong sense of anti-military fervor• Perception that U.S. interest weren’t at risk

U.S. refused to take role in League of Nations

RISE OF BELLIGERENT POWERSAs war threatened, many became concernedFear of U.S. involvementSenate hearings on World War I

• War blamed on arms manufacturersTook steps to prevent

the U.S. involvement

NEUTRALITY ACTSDesigned to keep U.S. from war

1935: No arms sales to belligerent nations1936: No loans or credit to belligerent nations1937: U.S. could not ship goods to belligerents

Tied the hands of the U.S.

FDR’S EFFORTSFDR and his cabinet recognized the threatPrepare the U.S. for involvement

• Quarantine Speech 1937• Cash-and-Carry 1939• Lend-Lease 1940

Atlantic Charter August 1941

PEARL HARBORJapanese attack brings U.S. into the warU.S. sets strategy in motion

• Initial outrage against Japan• Determined to defeat Germany first

THE HOME FRONTWorld War II was a Total War

• Entire American society was directed toward the war effort

• No one did not take part in the war effort

ECONOMYEconomic activity took on a wartime footing

• Massive military contracts sent production soaring• Lifted U.S. from the Depression

Directed by the War Production Board• Production of nonessential items were halted• Large-scale rationing of commodities• Some companies fought to have their products

listed as ’essential’The U.S. produced much of the war materiel used by the Allies

INFLATION CURBSOffice of Price Administration created to prevent runaway inflation

• Less consumer goods could equal higher prices• To keep morale up, prices capped

With full employment concern rose over higher wages

• War Labor Board set caps on wages• Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act limited ability of

workers to strike

FINANCEWorld War II cost the U.S. an estimate

$341 billion • ($4.137 trillion in today’s figures)

How do you finance this?• Taxation• War Bonds (135 billion sold in total)

MORALENeed to keep up morale at homeSponsored numerous activities

• Victory Gardens• Meatless and Wheat-less days• Scrap Drives• Civil Defense Drills

SOCIETAL SHIFTSFull Employment and Military Demands opened new opportunities

• African-Americans brought into numerous industrial jobs

• Bracero program opened opportunities for Mexican-Americans

• Five million women entered the industrial workplace