Topic 2 The Impact Of World War 2 Flashcards
How did improved efficiency of the work force help society to get richer?
Goods produced more cheaply, kept down prices
How did increased spending help society to get richer?
Americans spent money saved in war on consumer goods, cars and televisions
Why did the Cold War help society to get richer?
US industry kept turning out new weapons, boosting industries- steel, coal,electronics
What was hire purchase?
Paying for goods in instalments over fixed period of time
In 1960, what was the standard of living of the average American compared to the average Briton?
Three times
What were 3 modern conveniences in homes that became luxuries rather than necessities?
Televisions
Washing machines
Refrigerators
What were 3 reasons for the growth of suburbia?
Affordable housing
American dream
Car ownership
Why was affordable housing a reason for the growth of suburbia?
Reasonably priced houses for newly wed middle-class couples
Why was living the American dream a reason for the growth in suburbia?
Young couples could have own home and raise children away from dangers of city life
Why was increasing car ownership a reason for the growth in suburbia?
Most families had at least one car, no longer had to live close to workplace
What was the baby boom between 1945 and 1960?
Population increased by 40 million
What were 3 items that showed off a family status in suburbia?
Car
Record player
Swimming pool
What percentage of the population lived below the poverty line in 1959?
29%
Which group in America were particularly poor?
Black Americans
Why did poor Americans struggle to afford healthcare?
No national health service, cost of medical care rose rapidly
What did the war production board (WPD) do?
Organised and provided for needs of war
Who ran the war production board (WPD)?
Leading industrialists
What happened to industrial production by 1945?
Doubled
What put an end to unemployment in ww2?
conscription
How many American men and women served in the us armed services in ww2?
About 16 million
In 1939 unemployment stood at 9.5 million, what did it fall to by 1944?
670,000
By 1944, how many weapons was the USA producing?
Half the worlds
What were 3 reasons America benefited economically from ww2?
War production board
Industrial production
End of unemployment
What were war bonds?
Bought by ordinary people to finance war, paid back when war over
How did war bonds help the US economy after ww2?
People had lots of money to spend on consumer goods
How did open trading help improve the US economy after ww2?
advantage over European countries destroyed by war, high demand in Europe for us goods
By the end of the 1940s, how much of the world’s manufactured goods did the USA produce?
Half
By the end of the 1940s, what percentage of cars did the USA produce?
80%
What were 2 reasons for the economic success of America after ww2?
Open trading
War bonds
