WWII Prosperity

Question 1

What X4 factors showed a clear want for isolationism during the 1920s?

Answer 1

• disarmament
• rejection of LoN membership
• lack of intervention in Chinese civil war
• Kellog-Briand Pact 1928

Question 2

What conference in the 1920s showed USA’s disarmament along with USA, UK, France, Japan and Italy

Answer 2

Washington Disarmament Conference 1921

Question 3

When did Japan begin to expand again, despite signing the Washington Disarmament conference pact in 1921?

Answer 3

in the 1930s

Question 4

What does the passing of the Kellog-Briand pact with such a majority show for isolationism?

Answer 4

mass want for isolationism

Question 5

An article in what magazine suggested the the moto for arms manufacturers was “when there are wars, prolong them”

Answer 5

Fortune magazine

Question 6

Fortune magazine’s article suggested what was the moto of arms manufacturers

Answer 6

“when there are wars, prolong them”

Question 7

When was the US Gunboat Panay sunk by the Japanese?

What was the US’s reaction?

Answer 7

1937

accepted their apology

Question 8

What did the neutrality act of 1935 forbid?

Answer 8

the sale of munitions to belligerent nations

Question 9

What did the neutrality act of 1935 say about Americans and risk?

Answer 9

any American travelling on a belligerent ship was doing so at own risk

Question 10

What did the neutrality act of 1936 ban?

Answer 10

all loans to belligerents

Question 11

What did the 1937 neutrality act ban? What did these clauses seek to avoid?

Answer 11

US citizens travelling on belligerent ships

wanted to avoid involvement in Spanish Civil War

Question 12

What was the relationship between US businessmen and NAzi Germany?

Answer 12

continued to trade (and in increasing volumes) until 1940

Question 13

Prior to 1938 how many aircraft did the USA have in its air forces?

Answer 13

only 1,600

Question 14

When did USA begin rearmament?

Answer 14

December 1938

Question 15

In 1941 what was the military budget compared to 1940?

Answer 15

X4

Question 16

In what year did Roosevelt have Congress amend 1935’s neutrality act?

Answer 16

1939

Question 17

What did congress amending 1935’s neutrality act allow for?

Answer 17

sale of arms and munitions to powers at war

Britain and France could not purchase from the USA

Question 18

In 1940 how many airplane engines were ordered from the USA?

Answer 18

13,000

Question 19

In 1940 how many aircraft were ordered from USA?

Answer 19

10,800

Question 20

When did Congress sign to inject US Navy spending $4billion?

Answer 20

July 1940

Question 21

What did FDR persuade congress to do in July 1940?

Answer 21

inject US Navy spending $4billion

Question 22

In October 1940 what investment was given into defence by Congress?

Answer 22

$17billion

Question 23

In what year did FDR stress the USA must be “the great arsenal of democracy”

Answer 23

1940

Question 24

What quote from FDR stressed the USA’s international role?

Answer 24

US must be the “great arsenal of democracy”

Question 25

In 1940 how many votes did FDR win? Was this a greater or smaller majority than in 1936?

Answer 25

Only 22million smaller majority than 27million in 1936

Question 26

Who was FDR's Republican opponent in 1940?

Answer 26

Willkie

Question 27

What were the Republicans seen as in 1940?

Answer 27

the party of non-involvement

Question 28

Amendments to the 1935 and 1937 neutrality acts meant that arms could be sold on what basis?

Answer 28

cash and carry

Question 29

In 1940 what trade did FDR make with Britain? What did this mark a shift towards?

Answer 29

traded Britain 50 destroyers for X6 Caribbean bases shift towards more active military involvement

Question 30

When was France defeated by Germany?

Answer 30

summer of 1940

Question 31

When was lend-lease introduced?

Answer 31

1941

Question 32

What was lend-lease?

Answer 32

countries would be 'loaned' the means to keep fighting

Question 33

When was lend-lease extended to the USSR?

Answer 33

November 1941

Question 34

Where did capacity for mass production for war come from?

Answer 34

2/3 of steel plants were idle (despite new deal) | = US had lots of spare capacity

Question 35

When was the US Ship Reuben James sunk by Germans? | What was the US reaction?

Answer 35

October 1941 | triggered Congress to allow merchant ships to be armed

Question 36

When did Japanese attack Pearl Harbour?

Answer 36

7th December 1941

Question 37

What was the aim of the attack on Pearl Harbour?

Answer 37

immobilise US army so they could not stop Japanese expansion

Question 38

How many were killed in attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941?

Answer 38

2,400 American servicemen

Question 39

When did USA declare war on Japan? What was this prompted by?

Answer 39

8th December 1941 | Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour the day before

Question 40

When did Italy and Germany declare war on USA?

Answer 40

11th December 1941

Question 41

What act gave FDR unprecedented authority during war?

Answer 41

War Powers Act

Question 42

What was constructed to increase co-ordination of government / economy / military

Answer 42

construction of Pentagon

Question 43

When was the Office of Price Administration constructed?

Answer 43

1941

Question 44

What was the role of the Office of Price Administration?

Answer 44

guard against inflation | introduced price and rent controls

Question 45

How many paid employees in the Office of Price Administration by end of war?

Answer 45

73,000

Question 46

What was the role of the War Production Board?

Answer 46

allocation of materials and issuing of contracts

Question 47

Who was the War Production Board led by?

Answer 47

Nelson (Sears) and Wilson (General Electric)

Question 48

What was notable about those who led the War Production Board?

Answer 48

both CEOs

Question 49

National debt in 1941

Answer 49

$41billion

Question 50

National debt in 1945

Answer 50

$260billion

Question 51

What was the highest rate of taxation introduced during war? Excess profits tax corporate tax

Answer 51

94% - highest 90% - excess profits corporate - 40%

Question 52

How many Americans paid income tax in 1940? 1945?

Answer 52

4million 40million by 1945

Question 53

What % of total war cost was paid for via taxation? Was this higher or lower than wwI?

Answer 53

41% higher

Question 54

What was unemployment in 1943? %

Answer 54

between 0-2%

Question 55

GNP during war; 1938 : 1940 : 1945 :

Answer 55

1938 : $85billion 1940 : $100billion 1945 : $213billion

Question 56

Federal Revenue from Taxation; and number of people paying; 1940 - 1944 -

Answer 56

1940 : $7billion 4million people pay 1944 : $51billion over 40million people pay

Question 57

What Act did FDR increase taxes with during war? Rate of corporate tax - Rate of excess profits tax - Highest rate of tax -

Answer 57

Revenue Act 1942 corporate : 40% excess profits : 90% highest rate : 94%

Question 58

Corporate profits; 1932 : 1936 : 1939 : 1945 :

Answer 58

1932 : - (negative) $2billion 1936 : $5billion 1939 : $6billion 1945 : $10.5billion

Question 59

Examples of inclusions in 2nd Bill of Rights When did FDR announce the Bill?

Answer 59

- useful job - decent home - protection from economic fear of age / unemployment - freedom of businesses from unfair trade

Question 60

What was the real impact of the 2nd Bill of Rights

Answer 60

was more of a list of aspirations, not policy proposals securities were taken out of the hands of the individual and placed in responsibility of the government many were already underway (e.g SSA)

Question 61

Revenue Act of 1945: top band brought down from ? excess profits tax? corporate tax?

Answer 61

top rate down from 94% to 84% excess profits tax repealed corporate tax reduced

Question 62

What were the tax reductions of 1945 and 1948 like in stimulating business?

Answer 62

entrepreneurs took them as signs that they were allowed to make money and invest again and keep what they earned important for stimulating diversification away from defence economy and again towards consumer goods

Question 63

What was the Revenue Act of 1948 worth for big business? What happened to individual taxes?

Answer 63

$6.5billion exemption amount for individual taxes increased introduced "joint taxation" - for married couples = split income to avoid taxes

Question 64

What % of veterans found employment via the GI Bill? What % of GI Bill's budget was used?

Answer 64

8% found employment via GI Bill only 20% of budget used

Question 65

What did Truman do in order to raise purchasing power of the lowest earnings? When did he do this?

Answer 65

Truman raised minimum wage from 40cents an hour to 70cents in 1948