(The war & the economy, 1941-1945) The impact of the war on the USA

Question 1

Economic - what was the Office of War Mobilisation?

Answer 1

Controlled production, food prices, rents and rationing.

Question 2

Economic - what happened to prices and wages?

Answer 2

Prices rose by 28%

Wages increased by 40%

Question 3

Economic - what did many people start doing with their money?
Give evidence.
What did this do?

Answer 3

Saving.
1945 - $140 billion in savings nationally.
Helped fuel post-war consumer boom.

Question 4

Economic - what was the 1941 War Production Board?

Answer 4

Made to control military production

Question 5

Economic - what was introduced to control military production?

Answer 5

The 1941 War Production Board

Question 6

Power of TUs - what happened to the power of Trade Unions?

Answer 6

Started growing

Question 7

Power of TUs - how did union membership change?

Answer 7

1940 = 10.5 million

1945 = 14.75 million

Question 8

Power of TUs - how did wages change?

Answer 8

Frozen by The Emergency Stabilization Act, Oct 1942

Question 9

Power of TUs - give 2 examples of major trade unions.

Answer 9

The American Federation of Labor

The Congress of Industrial Organizations

Question 10

Power of TUs - what did the 2 major trade unions (AFL + CIO) both agree not to do?
What would happen instead?

Answer 10

Not strike

The National War Labor Board would settle disputes.

Question 11

Power of TUs - give evidence of significant industrial unrest.

Answer 11

1943, 400,000 coal miners went on strike for 12 weeks

Question 12

Power of TUs - how many strikes took place between the attack on Pearl Harbour in Dec 1941 and VJ Day in Aug 1945?

Answer 12

14,000 strikes, involving some 6.7 million workers.

Question 13

Power of TUs - what did the Smith-Connally War Labour Disputes Act of June 1943 allow?

When was it first used?

Answer 13

Federal govt to control essential war industries faced with industrial action.

Aug 1944 to break a public transport strike over employers who were ordered by the FEPC to employ black american drivers.

Question 14

Power of TUs - which act allowed federal govt to take control of essential war industries faced with industrial action. ?

Answer 14

The Smith-Connally War Labour Disputes Act of June 1943

Question 15

Migration - where did most migration take place?

Answer 15

To urban & industrial centres.

Question 16

Migration - how many americans are estimated to have migrated during the war?

Answer 16

27 million

Question 17

New industries/technology - there was a _____ to find the first _______ _____.

Answer 17

race

atomic bomb

Question 18

New industries/technology - what was enacted to help the race to find the first atomic bomb?

Answer 18

The Manhattan Project, costing $9 billion.

Question 19

New industries/technology - give examples of 4 industries began taking off.

Why?

Answer 19

Advanced electronics
Telecommunications
Pharmaceuticals
Atomic energy

Experiences of WW2

Question 20

New industries/technology - what did the USA become the biggest exporter of in 1945?

Answer 20

Synthetic rubber

Question 21

New industries/technology - why did pharmaceuticals increase?
Give evidence.

Answer 21

Demand for penicillin in WW2.

Federal govt funded 60 companies to mass produce penicillin.

Question 22

New industries/technology - give evidence to support USA becoming devoted to war production.

Answer 22

1941 - 33% of the economy was devoted to war production.

Early 1945 - US industry supplied 50% of armaments to Allies.

1945 - USA spent 50% of national income on defence.

Existing factories transferred to war production.

Question 23

New industries/technology - existing factories transferred to war production.
Give evidence of this.

Answer 23

The Ford Motor Company produced more military equipment in 1944 than the whole of Italy.