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World War II: Americans at War. I. Mobilization. Bell Ringer. Pretend you are President Roosevelt. What are the 3 most important things that must be done to prepare the country for war? Setting the Scene page 94. Objectives. Find out how Roosevelt mobilized the armed forces
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World War II: Americans at War I. Mobilization
Bell Ringer • Pretend you are President Roosevelt. What are the 3 most important things that must be done to prepare the country for war? • Setting the Scene page 94
Objectives • Find out how Roosevelt mobilized the armed forces • Learn about ways in which the government prepared the economy for war. • See how the war affected daily life on the home front.
A) Mobilizing the Armed Forces • Selective Training and Service Act: all males age 21 to 36 must register for military service. • Sept 1940 – boosted budget from 2 billion to 10 billion • FDR’s four freedom speech – 595 2) GI: “Government Issue” – what US men called themselves
B) Diversity in the Armed Forces • 16 million total • 300,000 Mexican Americans • 25,000 Native Americans • Code Talkers – secret code based on Navajos • 1 million AA • Tuskegee Airmen – all Black bomber escort unit • 350,000 women – used in all areas but combat
C) Preparing the Economy for War • War Production Board – helped convert peacetime industries to war industries – allocate raw materials • Office of War Mobilization: super agency in the centralization of resources • Liberty Ships: large sturdy merchant ships that carried supplies or troops • 1944 US produced double of what the Axis did • 1945 – had 300,000 airplanes – 80,000 landing craft – 100,000 tanks – 5,600 merchant ships – 6 mil rifles, and 41 billion rounds of ammo
D) The Wartime Work Force • Unemployment from Great Depression vanished • Union membership rose • Spending increased – 9 billion in 1939 to 95 billion in 1945 • Increased taxes paid for 41% • Borrowed and war bonds paid for rest • Debt went from 43 billion 1940 to 259 billion in 1945
E) Daily Life on the Home Front • 30 million people moved to find jobs • Birth rate doubled • Metal, nylon, and food shortages • Office of Price Administration controlled prices to keep inflation in check • Also in control of rationing • Movies and baseball became popular • Victory garden: a home vegetable garden planted to add to the home food supply and replace food sent to soldiers • Produced 1/3 of countries vegetables
Review • How did Roosevelt mobilize the armed forces? • In what ways did the government prepare the economy for war? • How did the war affect daily life on the home front?