Impact of the Second World War Flashcards
What was lend lease?
- the main form of support
- sent arms, food, medicine etc to USSR, China, France and nations fighting against Japan/Germany
- loaned war materials to allies to be returned at the end of the war; not charged if destroyed
What did lend lease begin?
March 1942
How much worth of materials were shipped?
$50.1 billion
- received no payment but a vast majority of contracts were placed with US firms
- this programme stimulated the economy
What was happening by 1944?
-USA producing almost half the weapons made in the world
Who were willing industrialists?
rallied behind FDR and cooperated fully with him
What could FDR effectively do?
raise taxes and spend money at any level in order to win the war; made a powerful combination
How many worked in factories?
14 million
How many worked in General Motors?
an extra 0.75 million
How many migrated to industrial North / Pacific Coast?
4 million
How many African Americans worked in war industries?
nearly 0.75
How many new workers were in California?
1.5 million
How many women joined the armed forces?
300,000
How many women joined the workforce?
7 million
How did the economy recover?
- more than half a million new businesses started up
- became rich from war contracts
- ended unemployment
What did Coca Cola do?
set up plants to follow troops around the world
