Gearing Up Industry for WWII

Question 1

What did government do in terms of encouraging companies to retool for military production?

Answer 1

gave companies who did retool for military production massive tax breaks

Question 2

The largest 10 corporations were given what fraction of war production contracts?

Answer 2

2/3

Question 3

When did FDR begin USA’s research into nuclear weapons?

Answer 3

1939

Question 4

Who designed the Liberty Ship?

Answer 4

Kaiser

Question 5

Kaiser’s nickname

Answer 5

Sir Launchalot

Question 6

What did the liberty ship have the capacity for?

Answer 6

3,000 jeeps

Question 7

What was notable about the liberty ship?

Answer 7

speed of production extreme

normal production time of 17days
fastest recorded was 4 days

Question 8

What was the name of the world’s largest aircraft factory? Who was responsible?

Answer 8

Willow Run

Ford

Question 9

How long was the assembly line at Willow Run?

Answer 9

1,600m long

Question 10

How many bombers a day was Willow Run producing?

Answer 10

10 daily

Question 11

What was notable about war production in the Ford Motor Company?

Answer 11

produced more military equipment during war than all of Italy

Question 12

Mass investment in technology and methods of production. What was a notable export of the USA’s?

Answer 12

synthetic rubber

Question 13

What was notable about synthetic rubber in terms of imports and exports?

Answer 13

pre-war : USA largest rubber importer

post-war : USA largest synthetic rubber exporter

Question 14

How many synthetic rubber plants constructed?

Answer 14

51

Question 15

How many people moved to California to find employment in defence industries?

Answer 15

2million

Question 16

In 1939 how many aircraft were produced?

Answer 16

only 2,000

Question 17

In 1942 how many aircraft were produced?

Answer 17

47,000

Question 18

In 1944 how many aircraft were produced?

Answer 18

96,300

Question 19

How many army trucks had USA built by end of war? How many did all of the axis powers hold?

Answer 19

600,000 US built

88,000 held by axis powers

Question 20

How many men in the army in 1939?

How were these employed?

Answer 20

250,000

voluntary capacity

Question 21

How many men in army by 1945?

• total
• African Americans
• American Indians
• Japanese Americans

What percentage were drafted?

Answer 21

Total : 12million +

• 900,000 African Americans
• 20,000 American Indians
• 33,000 Japanese americans

60% of people drafted

Question 22

what was the % of African-Americans within the federal workforce?

1942 :

1945 :

Answer 22

1942 : 3%

1945 : 10%

Question 23

How many Japanese Americans were forced to relocate?

What did this result in?

Answer 23

110,000 Japanese americans

Their homes and businesses being looted

Question 24

Production as a percentage of 1926 production;

• 1940 :
• 1944 :

Answer 24

1940 : 10% > 1926

1944 : 250% > 1926

Question 25

What does industrial production figures say about recovery and the New Deal?

Answer 25

No sustained production levels about 1920s figures during the New Deal only post-1940 was this production met and sustained - suggests spending was the way to recovery - was not attempted on an adequate scale prior

Question 26

Which executive order set up the Fair EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES COMMITTEE? When was it set up?

Answer 26

E.O 8802 1941

Question 27

What was the Act which gave the President permission to seize and operate privately owned industrial plants if threatened or interfered with by strike action When was it signed? What was notable about its signing?

Answer 27

Smith-Connally War Labor Disputes Act 1943 Went over President Roosevelt's veto

Question 28

How many days of work were lost due to strike action in 1942 - the year before the Smith-Connally War Labour Disputes Act?

Answer 28

0.05%

Question 29

Government spending as % of GDP; 1938 : 1939 : A key reason for the increase

Answer 29

1938 : 8% 1939 : 40% Rearmament from December 1938

Question 30

Investment in Navy and Defence in 1940;

Answer 30

Navy = $4billion Defence = $17billion

Question 31

Debt; - 1941 - 1945

Answer 31

1941 : $41billion 1945 : $260billion

Question 32

Spending on defence; - pre-1940s investment - 1944

Answer 32

- pre-1940s investment : $2billion | - 1944 : $90billion

Question 33

Government spending in; - 1945 - 1948

Answer 33

- 1945 : $95billion | - 1948 : $36.5billion

Question 34

GNP : 1938 - 1939 - 1940 -

Answer 34

1938 : $85billion 1939 : $91billion 1940 : $100billion

Question 35

GNP: - 1940 - 1945 - 1960

Answer 35

1940 - $100billion 1945 - $213billion 1960 - $500billion