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MOBILIZING FOR DEFENSE. After Pearl Harbor…. Japan thought America would avoid further conflict Japan Times said America was “trembling in their shoes” “Remember Pearl Harbor” was America’s rallying cry. Americans Rush to Enlist. 5 million Americans enlisted after Pearl Harbor
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After Pearl Harbor… • Japan thought America would avoid further conflict • Japan Times said America was “trembling in their shoes” • “Remember Pearl Harbor” was America’s rallying cry
Americans Rush to Enlist • 5 million Americans enlisted after Pearl Harbor • Selective Service expanded the draft • Eventually provided extra 10 million soldiers
Women Join the Fight • George Marshall pushed for formation of Women’s Auxiliary Army Corp (WAAC) • Women worked in non-combat roles • Nurses • Ambulance Drivers • Radio Operators • Pilots
Women’s Roles in World War II
All Americans Fought • Despite discrimination at home, minority populations contributed to the war effort • 1 million African Americans • 300,000 Mexican Americans • 33,000 Japanese Americans • 25,000 Native Americans • 13,000 Chinese Americans
A Production Miracle • Americans converted the auto industry into war industry • Nation’s auto plants began to produce: • Tanks • Planes • Boats • Command cars • Many other industries also converted to war-related supplies
Labor’s Contribution • By 1944, nearly 18 million workers were laboring in war industries • 3 times the number in 1941 • More than 6 million were women and nearly 2 million were minorities
Mobilization of Scientists • In 1941, FDR created the Office of Scientific Research and Development to bring scientists into the war effort • Focused on radar and sonar to locate submarines • Also the scientists worked on penicillin and pesticides like DDT
Manhattan Project • Most important achievement of OSRD was the secret development of the atomic bomb • Einstein wrote to FDR warning him that Germany was attempting to develop such a weapon • Code used to describe American efforts to build the bomb was “Manhattan Project”
Federal Gov’t Takes Control of Inflation • With the price of goods threatening to rise out of control, FDR created Office of Price Administration • OPA froze prices on most goods and encouraged purchase of war bonds to fight inflation
War Production Board • To ensure troops had ample resources, FDR created WPB • WPB decided which companies would convert to wartime production • Also decided how to allocate raw materials to those industries
Collection Drives • WPB also organized nationwide drives to collect: • Scrap iron and tin cans • Paper, rags, and cooking fat • Additionally, the OPA set up a system of rationing • Households had allocations of scarce goods—gas, meat, shoes, sugar, coffee, etc.