WWII Mobilization: The United States

WWII Mobilization

The United States

The United States

The home front in the United States was quite different from that of the
other major powers. The United States as not fighting in its own territory.
Eventually, the United States became the arsenal of the Allied Powers; it
produced much of the military equipment the Allies needed. The height of
war production came in November 1943. At that point, the country was
building ships a day and 96,000 planes per year.

Multiple Choice

Who produced most of the military equipment the Allies needed?

• The United States

• Germany

• Japan

• Great Britain

The mobilization of the American economy and workforce resulted in
some social turmoil, however. The construction of new factories created
boomtowns. Thousands came there to work but then faced a shortage of
houses and schools. Sixteen million men and women were enrolled in
the military and moved frequently. Another 16 million, mostly wives and
girlfriends of servicemen or workers looking for jobs, also moved around
the country.

Multiple Choice

One negative consequence of the American mobilization was

• The creation of boomtowns

• The decreased cost of living

• The introduction of new technologies

• The increased number of jobs available

Multiple Choice

When people came to work in the boomtowns they faced

• Freedom to choose their occupation

• Job security

• Abundant housing

• A shortage of houses and schools

More than a million African Americans moved from the rural South to the
cities of the North and West looking for jobs in industry. The presence of
African Americans in areas in which they had not lived before led to racial
tensions and sometimes even racial riots. In Detroit in June 1943, for
example, white mobs roamed the streets attacking African Americans. One
million African Americans joined the military, where they served in
segregated units. For some, this treatment later led to a fight for their civil
rights.

African Americans Fought for Freedom at Home and Abroad during World War II | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans

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Japanese Americans

Japanese Americans faced serious issues. On the West Coast, 110,000
Japanese Americans, 65% of whom had been born in the United States,
were removed to camps surrounded by barbed wire and required to take
loyalty oaths. Public officials claimed this policy was necessary for security
reasons. California governor Culbert Olson expressed the racism in this
policy:

“When I look out at a group of Americans of German or Italian descent, I can
tell whether they’re loyal or not. I can tell how they think and even perhaps
what they are thinking. But it is impossible for me to do this with inscrutable
Orientals, and particularly the Japanese”

-Quoted in Japanese Americans: THe Formation and Transformation of an
Ethnic Group.

Propaganda

This propaganda poster, which was created in
the early 1940s by the War Services Project of
the Works Projects Administration (WPA),
shows a family ready to assist the war effort on
the home front. During World War II, citizens
collected basic materials such as metals and
rubber for use in the manufacturing of war
equipment. So that the military would have
enough for soldiers, Americans bore the
rationing of foods such as meat and sugar, and
families planted “victory gardens” to produce
food for the military and to supplement their
own diets.

Open Ended

How do the posters make you feel about the war?

Open Ended

Why would the United States Government make and distribute posters like these?

Women in the U.S. Military

During World War II, women
participated in organizations such as
the Women’s Army Corps (WACs)
where they served in administrative,
noncombat positions. In 1948 President
Harry S. Truman signed the Women’s
Armed Services Integration Act, which
enabled women to become active
members of all branches of the U.S.
military. At that time, women made up
2% of the armed forces

Military Conscription

As the U.S. mobilized for war, it conscripted millions of men into the armed
forces. Conscription, sometimes called “the draft,” is the process of
compelling non military civilians to register for military service. In the first
World War, for example, 24 million men were compelled to register for
service. In World War II, that number increased to 50 million. Although not
all those registered were actually called to serve, enough were called to
create to create labor shortages. In World War II, many factories employed
women to fill the positions of men called to serve. There was limited
opposition to conscription during the world wars. This changed 20 years
lager, during the Vietnam conflict, as opposition to the draft grew along with
opposition to that war. Military conscription was ended in the United States
in 1973, two years before the end of the Vietnam War.

Open Ended

How would you feel if the United States started another military conscription (draft)?