Home Front: Analysis of World War II Propaganda (PDF)

THE HOME FRONT ANALYSIS: WARTIME PROPAGANDA LET’S FIRST LOOK AT... MOBILIZING FOR WAR 5 mil rushed to enlist, the selective service act drafted 10 mil more Motivated by vengeance, America moved quickly to FIGHT BACK! Women enlisted & served in non-combat roles, freeing men for combat Women’s...

THE HOME FRONT ANALYSIS: WARTIME PROPAGANDA LET’S FIRST LOOK AT... MOBILIZING FOR WAR 5 mil rushed to enlist, the selective service act drafted 10 mil more Motivated by vengeance, America moved quickly to FIGHT BACK! Women enlisted & served in non-combat roles, freeing men for combat Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) allowed women to enlist & serve as nurses, drivers, electricians, etc. WASPS & WAVES women airforce service pilots tested and delivered aircraft women accepted for voluntary emergency service gave medical assist. “REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR” do we stand and fight for a country that denies us rights & keeps us segregated? Despite this, many joined the fight! AFRICAN AMERICANS about 1 mil served in segregated units, in non-combat roles until 1943 ASIAN AMERICANS despite distrust of them after pearl, 1000s served in combat & as spies 300K Mexicans served - Navajo “Codetalkers” in the Pacific Theatre MEXICAN AMERICANS & NATIVE AMERICANS Minorities faced a dilemma as to their role in the war effort MINORITIES IN THE MILITARY NOW WE’LL LOOK AT... INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION WAR-TIME MANUFACTURING tanks replaced cars, ammo replaced soda... By early 1942, factories were converted, from consumer goods to war-time goods The gov. took control of the economy: OFFICE OF PRICE ADMINISTRATION (OPA) froze prices on expensive needed goods WAR PRODUCTIONS BOARD (WPB) held scrap drives to recycle needed materials, allocated inputs to war effort NATIONAL WAR LABOR BOARD (NWLB) limited wages to keep costs of production low & workers on the job RATIONING & VICTORY GARDENS coupons books helped pace consumption SOCIAL & ECONOMIC GAINS The American working class changed significantly and benefited greatly! THE LABOR FORCE unemployment dropped to 1.2% by 1944 and wages increased by 10% FARMERS good weather, improved machinery, high demand increased profits, paid off loans WOMEN women made up 35% of workforce, got more pay, broke molds for women WAR BONDS & INVESTMENT Americans saved $ buying bonds AMERICAN PUBLIC WAR INDUSTRIES UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT WAR INDUSTRIES WAR INDUSTRIES WAGES, BENEFITS GUNS, BULLETS TANKS, SHIPS, PLANES FOOD, SUPPLIES ARMED FORCES HOW WAR BONDS WORK LASTLY... ATTACKS ON CIVIL LIBERTIES both at home & in the military AFRICAN AMERICANS blacks lived in segregated cities, got lower pay & faced violence MEXICAN AMERICANS the zoot suit riots in LA saw hispanic youths beaten in the streets based on racial profiling James Farmer formed CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) to fight segregation A. Philip Randolph formed a black labor union to fight for workplace equality WAR-TIME DISCRIMINATION Despite war-time advancements, minorities faced old prejudices After Pearl Harbor, anti-Japanese paranoia ran rampant EXECUTIVE ORDER 9066 The military established militarized zones on the west coast Japan. Amer. were forced to leave their homes and move to closed camps Within weeks, 110,000 J.A. from ca, or, AZ, WA were moved (67% were Nisei) JAPANESE INTERNMENT fear that japan. amer. would help the enemy attack from within 2/12/42 - Without probable cause, FDR issues Only able to bring what they could carry, many lost homes/businesses JAPANESE PARANOIA SEEKING JUSTICE Japanese Americans challenged the constitutionality of EO 9066 KOREMATSU V US(1944) the supreme court ruled that forced relocation of J.A. was justified on the basis of “military necessity” (nat. sec.) 1965 - Congress agreed to compensate less than 10% of losses to J.A. victims JAPANESE AMERICAN CITIZEN LEAGUE (JACL) this group fought after the war for compensation for the injustices to J.A. 1990 - Congress promised $20k to any victims & president bush apologizes CLOSURE 1) Military preparation for war 2) Industry and Labor during WWII 3) Japanese Internment Write THREE things you learned today about: