The Impact Of The Second World War Flashcards
What was the effect of the war on politics and the presidency?
-Roosevelt gained huge prestige as world statesman and commander in chief (good relation with Stalin and continue relations with Britain )
-Roosevelt as a wartime president had greater authority over congress
-US governmant increased intervention: (1945) collected $45 billion in taxes (but also borrowed $45 billion)
• (1941) office of scientific research and development established
• (1940) smith act, illegal to overthrow gov
• (1940) selective service act enforced conscription
-Roosevelt to take leadership in grand alliance using his close and inner circle of advisors. Such as Anglo-American cooperation in sharing secret intelligence
-reduced political opposition: Won presidential election (1944) serving his fourth term. And supported by loyal adviser like Harry Truman as vice president
How did the war affect the economy?
-US provide loans and munition
-after(1941) lend-lease provide essential assistance to USSR
-millions jobs created and filled to increase production.
(1942) unemployment ended
(60% women employed by 1945)
(200,000 African Americans worked for government )
-integrated private and public economic sectors
-more gov power to regulate industry and food production
-government placed control on prices and wages. (1941) office of price administration and civilian supply control
-war production board: supervised allocation of strategic resources (petrol, steel, rubber)
-US defence spending rose to $64.5 billion (1945)
-US dominated world economy: “Bretton woods system” made US dollar preeminent whole currency
How did the war affect US socioty (aside from blacks , women and Japanese)
US consumer spending index rose to 122 by 1945
-trade unions were strengthened. AFL and congress of industrial organizations got more influence
-federal government put more pressure on employers to recognize unions= uniions did not strike and accept gov arbitration of wages
-conscription= young men leaving home districts for first time. Many left agriculture work to move into cities
-raised awareness for race and gender discrimination: united Auto workers union dealt with hate strikes by white make workers= limited gov action (FEPC)
-rise in patriotic propeganda
-civilian consumption rose by more than 20%
-gap narrowed between rich and poor
-surge in mass entertainment (radios, news coverage movies) Office of war information established to produce inspiring war documentaries. Hollywood movies = spread patriotism meet “meet me in St Louis” (1944) promote US togetherness . Casablanca (1942) included Humphrey bogart outwit Nazi allies and police chief
-us west transformed, rise in social diversity as million of poeple inhabited area to work in war departments
-(1944) G.I bill of rights passed to provide financial support for returning ex soldiers for gaining college education, tried to bring equal treatment but failed
How did the war affect African Americans?
-trade unions continued to bar African Americans
-given menial low pay
-rise in social tensions for African Americans migrating from south into cities (1943) race riot in Detroit saw more than 100,000 poeple involved in street violence, 34 killed
-violence overseas “battle of barber bridge”
-African American served in segregated units
-increase in membership of NAACP
And (1942 formed) commute of racial equality (CORE)
-double V campaign and tuskagee airmen achievements increased awareness
-Philip Randolph put pressure on Roosevelt by threatening a march on Washington.= fair employment practice act (FEPC) but was limited but started movement
How did the war affect Japanese Americans ?
Carried out Under executive order 9066 and 9102
-claims that one’s living in Hawaii and California had helped the oeslr harbour attacked= sent to ‘relocation centres’ which was compulsory. Included 100,000 poeple.
Suffered harsh conditions, and community lost $400 million
Internment stopped in (1944)
How far did the war affect women?
Women were more employed
-women earner less than 50% less than white male counterparts
(1944) 36% workforce was female
-propeganda “rose the riveter’ encouraged women to work in munition factories or conserve vital resources
-many left wartime jobs volition eh in (1945) and happy to resume traditional roles
-trade unions kept women pay rates high (but mostly to protect pay rates for men who would return to jobs)
How far did the role and position of the US change by 1945?
-massive expansion of American military power
-did not retreat isolationism after world war 2
And
accepted world role:
-did not view Britain as an equal partner
-rooosevekt attempted to establish effective relations with Stalin, but Churchill confrontational approaches irritated him= Stalin to encroached Roosevelt as old fashioned imperialist
-attended war time summits from (1945) Yalta conference : planned peace but was incompletec= criticism Roosevelt was to gullible / support for doing best he can. Either way = Cold War
-Truman met (1945) wartime summit with Churchill (later replaced by atlee) and Stalin but no agreement made, and Truman criticized for pushing Stalin to far from agreements
-Truman used atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945) to force Japanese surrender despite being close to defeat. (Or suggested was used to impress Stalin)
