Operation HOME FRONT! World War II
World War II Home Front!
Isolationism
After the past events of World War I had fed into America's natural desire to isolationism, and it reflected of the Neutrality Acts that which became the turning point. In the period between World War I and World War II, the United States foreign policy was described by isolationism that in other words means it preferred to be isolated from affairs of other countries.
Industrial Output generally
Before the War: The industrial output of the United States during the war astounded the rest of the world. American workers were twice productive as German workers and five times more productive than Japanese workers.
Expansion of War Production with the help of Reconstruction Finance Corporation
Many jobs were created, and the by the fall of 1941, much had already done to prepare the economy for war, but it was still only partially mobilized. Many companies were producing military equipment, most still preferred to make consumer goods. The Depression was ending and sales were rising. In some while, the companies stop producing as because of all the money they spend, it became costly. Until, (RFC) A government agency set up during the Depression, was now permitted to make loans to companies to help them cover the cost of converting to war production. It was a huge opportunity with the help of the government.
Impact of Cost Plus contracts
As the government signed and agreed to pay a company whatever it cost to make a product plus a guaranteed percentage of the costs as profit. Under the cost-plus system, the more a company produced and the faster it did the work, the more money it would make.
Tanks replace car production
Automobile industry was uniquely suited to mass production of military equipment. Automobile factories began to produce trucks, jeeps, and tanks. Automobile factories did not just produce vehicles. They also built artillery's, rifles, mines, helmets, pontoon bridges, cooking pots, and dozens of other pieces of military equipment. Also Henry Ford launched the enormous B-24 bomber known as the Liberator. The factory built over 8,600 aircraft's. Overall, the automobile industry produced nearly one-third of the military equipment during War World II.
The Picture shown is the Chrysler Automobile company helping for World War II.
The Picture shown is the Chrysler Automobile company helping for World War II.
Building LIberty Ships
Liberty Ship was the basic cargo ships used during the World War II. Kaiser’s shipyards built many ships, but they were best known for their production of Liberty ships. Most of them were welded instead of riveted. Welded ships were cheap, easy to build, and very hard to sink compared to riveted ships.
The War Production Board
American companies converted to war production, many business leaders became frustrated with the mobilization process. After when Pearl Harbor was attacked, President Roosevelt wanted to improve the system by creating The War Production (WPB) that which gave WPB the authority to set priorities and production goals and to control the distribution of raw materials and supplies.
Office of War Mobilization
Military agencies continued to sign contracts without consulting with the WPB. In 1943, Roosevelt finally established the Office of War Mobilization (OWM) to settle arguments between the different agencies.
Wage & Price Controls; OPA & OES
Wages and prices began to rise quickly during the war because of the high of demand for workers and raw materials. To stabilize both wages and prices Roosevelt created the Office of Price Administration (OPA).
Office of Price Administration controls money and rents after the outbreak of World War II.
Office of Economic Stabilization regulated wages the price of farm products.
Office of Price Administration controls money and rents after the outbreak of World War II.
Office of Economic Stabilization regulated wages the price of farm products.
Rationing
The Office of Price Administration began limiting the availability of, many products to make sure enough were available for military use. Sugar, Meat were rationed to provide enough for the army. Especially for gasoline and rubber was rationed, driving was restricted which the speed limit was set at 35 mph to save gas.
Blue & Red Coupons
Every month each household would pick up a book of ration coupons. The blue coupons, were called blue points, controlled processed foods. The Red coupons, or red points, controlled meats, fats, and oils. Other coupons controlled items such as coffee and sugar. Most of the people can use the coupons to cover their purchases.
Victory Gardens
Americans planted gardens to produce more food for the war effort. Any land might become a garden, like backyards, school yards, city yards, city parks, and even empty lots.
A Time of Raising Taxes
The government spent $300 billion for all the supplies and war equipment it needed during World War II. To recover the money, the government raised taxes. The Americans were opposed of large tax increases, Congress refused to raise taxes as high as Roosevelt requested. Into result, the extra taxes collected covered only 45 percent of cost of the year.
E bonds!
Bonds were loaning money to the government. In exchange of the money, the government promised that the bonds could be crashed in at some future date for the purchase price plus interest. E bonds sold for $18.75 and be redeemed for $25.00 after 10 years. Americans bought nearly $50 billion worth of war bonds. Banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions bought the rest by over $100 billion worth of bonds.
U.S. Office of War Information: Did what, when, etc.
RFC - to make loans to help companies for war production. (1941)
Office of Price Administration controls money and rents after the outbreak of World War II. (1941)
Office of Economic Stabilization regulated wages the price of farm products. (1942)
Office of Price Administration controls money and rents after the outbreak of World War II. (1941)
Office of Economic Stabilization regulated wages the price of farm products. (1942)
Executive order 9066
Internment Camps in World War I. It issued during World War II by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942 to send Japanese Americans to internment camps after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
Americans and women face who had entered the workforce or military during the war?
During that time, African Americans and Women helped out fight during the war when the United states needed for more jobs. It was a huge opportunity for both African American’s and Women. Most women who did work were young, single and employed in traditional female jobs. The wartime labor shortage, however, forced factories to recruit married women to do industrial that traditionally had been reserved for men. Although the government hired nearly 4 million women for mostly clerical jobs, it was the women in the factories who captured the public's imagination.
While factories were hiring women, they resisted hiring Africans Americans. Frustrated by the the situation, A. Philip Randolph, the head of the brotherhood of Sleeping Car Posters. Sleeping Car Posters is a major union for African Americans railroad works; they decided to take action to demand war work and take action. Philip Randolph informed President Roosevelt that he was organizing from ten to fifty thousand African Americans to march on Washington. In response, Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, on July 25, 1941. "There shall be no discrimination in the employment of workers in defense industries or government because of race, creed, color or national origin."