Mobilizing for War

Mobilizing for War

Main Idea

• The United States quickly mobilized its economy and armed forces to fight in World War II.

Key Terms and Names

• cost-plus: A contract system where the government pays the cost of production plus a guaranteed profit.
• Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC): A government agency authorized to make loans to companies for war production.
• Liberty ship: A basic cargo ship used during WWII, known for being weldable and resilient.
• War Production Board: Established to coordinate the production of war materials and manage supplies.
• Selective Service and Training Act: Introduced the first peacetime draft in the U.S.
• Disfranchise: The denial of the right to vote, often affecting African Americans.

Government Agencies to Mobilize the Economy

• War Production Board (WPB)
• Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC)
• Office of War Mobilization (OWM)

Reading Objectives

• Explain how the U.S. mobilized its economy.
• Describe challenges in building an American army.

Section Theme

• Individual Action: The success of the U.S. in mobilizing for war was largely due to individual cooperation.

Key Events

• 1940: Fall of France; Selective Service Act enacted.
• December 7, 1941: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor.
• 1942: Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) established.
• 1943: Office of War Mobilization (OWM) established.

Economic Mobilization

• Industrial Power: Churchill referred to the American economy as a "giant boiler" that could produce massive war materials.
• U.S. productivity during the war:
  • American workers were twice as productive as Germans and five times as productive as Japanese workers.
• U.S. war production shifted rapidly after the Pearl Harbor attack due to prior mobilization efforts, starting with the national emergency declared in 1940.

Conversion of the Economy

• Cost-plus Contracts: Enabled rapid production by incentivizing companies to produce faster.
• The RFC was allowed to provide loans for factory conversions to war production.
• By mid-1942, about 200,000 companies had shifted to war production, making what was called the wartime "miracle" possible.

Impact of the Automobile Industry

• The automobile industry changed production methods to create military vehicles such as trucks, jeeps, and tanks, critical for troop movement.
• Henry Ford’s B-24 bomber production: Significant output at Willow Run Airport; over 8,600 aircraft produced.

Liberty Ships

• Production by Henry Kaiser: Established shipyards that built Liberty ships, which were efficient due to welding rather than riveting.
• Liberty ships were designed to withstand damage, making them crucial for cargo transport during the war.

War Production Board (WPB)

• Created to streamline war production amid conflicts between military agencies and business leaders on priorities and contracts.

Building an Army

• Post-Germany’s attack on Poland, there was an expansion of the U.S. Army to 227,000 soldiers.
• The Selective Service and Training Act began the peacetime draft, approved by Congress after France’s fall to Germany.
• Draftees had a rushed training process, often lacking adequate supplies or facilities.

Challenges During Training

• Initial training faced criticism for being ineffective; recruits often lacked necessary skills due to rushed schedules.
• Despite challenges, training fostered camaraderie among soldiers.

Segregation in the Military

• The military was segregated, with African American soldiers training in separate facilities and units.
• Efforts for equality culminated in the creation of the Tuskegee Airmen and their significant contributions to various campaigns.
  • Also involved in the Double V campaign for civil rights at home while fighting abroad.

Women in the Armed Forces

• Women joined the military, first through the WAAC and later the WAC, fulfilling non-combat roles that freed men for combat.
• By the end of the war, women also served as nurses in the army and navy.

Summary of Armed Forces Status

• Initial restrictions existed for both women and African Americans, but their roles expanded as demand increased for manpower in various capacities.
• Despite adversities, the United States armed forces adapted and performed well during combat, backed by civilian effort and organization.