ARSENAL
OF
DEMOCRACY
“We must be the great arsenal of
democracy” -FDR
Objective…
Describe how President Roosevelt’s
initiatives mobilized the U.S. for war.
17) The War Powers Act…
• FDR…
– Reorganizes federal gov.
– Creates new agencies
– Censors information
– Abridges civil liberties
– Seizes foreign property
– Awards government contracts
The Arsenal of Democracy
1942:
• U.S. production = Italy, Germany & Japan
1944:
• 2 X greater
Financing the War:
• U.S. cost: $341 billion
• More than all U.S. budgets from 1789-1941
• 15 X cost of WW I
Federal spending:
In1939: 10 billion… In 1945: 95 billion
How do we raise the money?...
Bugs Bunny War Bond Cartoon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI8jKZ9HH3U&NR=1
War Bonds
War Bonds
Mobilizing:
U.S Dept. of Defense
• Price Control Act of 1942 or
“cost plus system”
...the cost of producing the product
plus modest profit
The Pentagon (1942)
HQ: U.S. Dept. of Defense
World’s largest office building
17.5 miles of corridors
26, 000 employees
Most efficient office building… 7 min between two points
Mobilizing:
18) Explain how the federal wartime
agencies focused the war effort…
- Supply Priorities Allocation Board
- Office of Price Administration (OPA)…
- National War Labor Board
- Office of War Information
- Office of Strategic Services
Mobilizing:
• Supply Priorities & Allocation Board…
– Allocates & controls the resources
needed for war
– Limits consumer products
Mobilizing:
• Office of Price Administration (OPA)…
- Prevent inflation & ration consumer
goods.
- Rationing: Tires, autos, sugar, gas, fuel
oil, coffee, meats & other foods
OPA
Rationing Book
Rationing…
Ride Sharing
The Gasoline Black Market
• 1942 – Auto 4 gals.
War workers extra
“Vital occupation” extra
• 1945 – 30% counterfeit stickers
32,500 arrested
4, 000 gas stations closed
Mobilizing:
• National War Labor Board…
– Worked for cooperation between labor &
management
– Limited wages & strikes
– Supported: 8 hr day, unionism, gender
equity pay for & employee grievance
procedures
Mobilizing:
Domestic Propaganda
• Office of War Information…
Words, posters & films waged a
constant battle for the hearts
and minds of Americans
The Propaganda Messages.
Get a war job; Work hard; Recycle;
Sacrifice; Buy Bonds;
Remain Silent
Daffy Duck propaganda film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ngETXxI5pg
Remain
Silent
Remain
Silent
Sacrifice
Increase Production
Recycle / Conserve
Tolerance
Recruiting women
workers…
Sabotage Warnings
Espionage Warnings
Mobilizing:
• Office of Strategic Services (OSS)…
-Collects & analyzes information about
countries at war with the U.S.
- Organized sabotage & espionage in
other countries
19) The size of the federal
government during the war…
- The size of government
compared with the New Deal Era...
20) The effect of the war on the
national budget & defense
spending….
21) What was the fate of the
New Deal?...
Why?
Objectives…
• Describe how FDR’s call to make
America the “arsenal of democracy”
affected the economy.
• Describe how FDR’s call to make
America the “arsenal of democracy”
affected the economy, female workers,
minority workers and organized labor.
23) What advantages gave the United
States the potential to out produce
the enemy?...
23) What advantages gave the US the
potential to out produce the enemy?...
24) The War Production Board…
How effective was it?...
The War Production Board…
“Responsibility for the economy”
•
•
•
•
Created 17M jobs
Factories operate 24 / 7
50% of GNP = war goods
GNP:
1939: $88.6B
1944: $198.7B
Arsenal of Democracy
Military Production Totals for 1940-1945
•
•
•
•
250,000 planes
80,000 landing craft
650,000 artillery pieces
15M rifles
•
•
•
•
100,000 armored cars
75,000 tanks
3m. tons bombs
41M rounds ammo
Ship building:
1941: 355 days………..1945: 14 days
Willow Run Bomber Plant
1 mile assembly line - 42,000 employees
Hiding the Lockheed Plant…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgFJKtznKMo
A. Supply Priorities & Allocation Board
B. Office of War Information
C. Price Control Act of 1942
D. OSS
E. The War Production Board
F. National War Labor Board
1. Organized sabotage & espionage in other countries
2. Allocates & controls the resources needed for war
3. Responsibility for the war economy
4. Collects & analyzes information about countries at war with the U.S.
5. Worked for cooperation between labor & management Limited wages & strikes
6. Waged a constant battle for the hearts and minds of Americans
25) Describe how economic
conversion affected the US
economy…
•The Great Depression is over
•1942- 45 the GNP doubles
•Unemployment becomes under employment:
1941: 9.9%
1945: 1.2%... 17millon new jobs
•Man power shortages in industry
26) Describe how defense
production affected the various
geographic regions of the
country…
• CA 40B in defense funds - 10% of total
• S to N or W…. Detroit & CA
• Southern textiles boom
• Sharecroppers to factories
• Rural pop. Down 20%
• U.S. Middle class doubles
29) Groups experiencing
new employment
opportunities…
Objectives…
• Describe how FDR’s call to
make America the “arsenal of
democracy” affected female
workers.
30) Employment opportunities for
females…
- Changing & challenging
stereotypes…
31) The dual message being
communicated to women by the
government…
Female Workers
• Female labor + 50%
• White women 35+ & married become
the majority employed
• AA women: From domestic work to
manufacturing jobs
• National War Labor Board promotes:
= work = pay… Reality is that
women are paid less
32) Rosie
the Riveter
Objective…
Describe how FDR’s call to make
America the “arsenal of democracy”
affected minority workers.
Minority Workers….
• Mexicans: Western
– Agriculture &ship building
• African Americans:
+ 33% Mostly industrial work
• Native Americans
Objective…
Describe how FDR’s call to make
America the “arsenal of democracy”
affected organized labor.
33) What economic factors compromised
the prosperity of workers?...
34) How did entry into WW II affect the
policy of the larger labor unions?
35) How did unionism benefit from the
policies of the NWLB?...
36) What was a “hate strike”...
How effective?...
37) How did the size, gender & racial makeup of labor unions change during the war
years?
Recruiting women workers…