Mobilizing for WWII

Read Chapter 25-1: Mobilizing for War and note how each of the following contributed to that effort.

1. Selective Service System

This system added another five millions men to go to war in addition to the five million volunteers, this was needed because of the two major war fronts (in the Pacific and in Europe).

2. Women

Women contributed to the war effort by being able to volunteer into the war. Women were able to work at the jobs that never saw combat, like electricians, nurses, ambulance drivers, and radio operators. This was all able to happen because of General George Marshall who pushed Congress to pass the WAAC (Women's Auxiliary Army Corps).

3. Minorities

Minorites were a big help in the war effort, but were greatly discriminated against. They didn't like how if they fought in the war they'd be fighting another race (possibly theirs) for America who wanted to enforce democracy where they didn't even get democracy in America and for people who were racist against them. However, many ethnic groups, like Asian-Americans, African-Amricans, and Native-Americans were a huge help in the war effort and they had all volunteered.

4. Manufacturers

Basically every industry switched their products that they were making into producing combat materials for war. For example, a mechanical pencil industry switched to putting powder in grenades and automobile industries switched from making cars to making ships, planes, and etc. Many industries switched to war necesities for the war effort, which contributed a lot to the war that the United States needed after the Pearl Harbor attack where many ships and planes were destroyed.

5. Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD)

The OSRD contributed to the war effort by making better sonar and radar, inventing drugs like penicillan, and the atomic bomb. Making better sonar and radar made it possible to locate submarines, and penicillan saved many of soldier's lives. The atomic bomb was the main focus however, they made an intense program called the Manhattan Project that investigated and researched how to make the atomic bomb. They focused on this because a refugee, Albert Einstein, told FDR in a letter that German scientists had figured out how to extract uranium atoms which made a lot of energy hence a powerful bomb.

6 Entertainment industry

The film industry made many movies about the Soviet Union being our ally, the Nazis, and romances. The movies about the Soviet Union being our ally made Americans hopeful that America could win the war, they felt like they had more power or were more powerful with USSR. Also the movies about the Nazis made Americans hate them, and therefore made Americans want to join or help the war effort. However, after all these movies about the war people got tired of them, so romance movies were made which made people forget about the realities of the war for one or two hours.

7. Office of Price Administration (OPA)

FDR made this administration to keep inflation below thiry percent or atleast steady, and to reduce consumer demands on daily products. For example, it raised the income tax and spread to people who hadn't paid it before therefor making workers not able to spend as much. This adminstration kept the inflation steady throughout WWII.

8. War Production Board (WPB)

The WPB contributed to the war effort by controling the companies by saying you can make this, and you can send these materials to that company. Also, it recycled many things like tin, paper, and cooking fat for war goods. This led to children contributing to the war effort by them collecting all the materials that could be recycled like paper.

9. Rationing

Rationing helped with the war effort by making Americans at home not able to buy as much as they would or could. They had to buy things with coupons that raised the prices which made them not want to buy as much or anything. Also, you couldn't buy gasoline which greatly impacted the west by them not being able to get around (and basically isolated at their home from other people), this was to give more gasoline and oil to the ships, planes, and automobiles being used in the war. Therefore, rationing contributed to the war effort by making the more scarce materials needed in the war available for the war effort and the men.