Wartime Life New Economic Opportunities for Women New Economic Opportunities for African Americans

 Rationing: you could only get a limited amount of scarce, war- needed goods. Among rationed items: (rubber) tires, gasoline, steel, aluminum typewriters, bicycles, footwear, silk, nylon, fuel oil, stoves, meat, butter, shortening and oils, cheese, processed foods (canned, bottled, and frozen), dried fruits, canned milk, firewood and coal, jams and jellies, and medicines such as penicillin.  Office of War Information: Created Propaganda to encourage support for the war effort

 War Production Board (WPB) was organized in Early 1942 to manage war industries  By 1944 US war-related industrial production was practically twice that of all the Axis powers combined!  The government paid for the war by….?!?!?  Stimulated by war-time demand and government contracts, the US industries did a booming business, officially ending The Great Depression, and unemployment practically disappeared!

 Over 200,000 women served in the military in non-combat roles.  New job opportunities opened up as soldiers left to fight the war.  5 million women entered the workforce.  Women went to work even if older or married.  Note…pay was not equal to male workers “Rosie the Riveter”

 As in WWI, African Americans left the south to pursue job opportunities in both the north and out west (1.5 million+)  Another million young men served in the armed forces.  Black Americans, however, still faced discrimination and segregation, whether civilian or soldier.  One of the most important Black Activist during this time was named A. Phillip Randolph…we will see him again in the 1960s civil rights mvmt.

 Double Victory - against Fascism abroad and Racism at home.  In 1942, in agreement between A. P. Randolph’s March on Washington group and the Double V Campaign, some 18,000 African Americans congregated in Madison Square Garden threatening a March on Washington if their demands for integration were not met.  This pressured FDR to sign Executive Order 8802, on June 25, 1941, prohibiting racial discrimination in the national defense industry and eventually for hiring practices in any job funded by government money.

Wartime Conferences: Planning for after WW2 The UN The Nuremberg Trials

 FDR, Stalin, and Churchill met (in USSR) in February, 1945  They decided how they would split up the Post WWII Europe and the world.  Red Army would continue to occupy Eastern Europe, but would hold “free elections” asap.  Decided to divide Germany into four zones of occupation. British, French, American, and Soviet Zone  FDR got Stalin’s pledge to help in Japan (joined US on August 8…thanks)  UN would be formed.

Germany eventually splits between Communist East Germany and Non- Communist West Germany

 Truman, Attlee, and Stalin met at Potsdam, Germany in July-August, 1945  Issued a warning to Japan to surrender Unconditionally  Decided to hold war- crimes trial of Nazi leaders.

 23 of the most important political and military Nazi leaders of the Third Reich leaders were put on trial for their crimes, mostly for the Holocaust.  They all used the defense “I was just following orders”  Held between  November 20, 1945 and October 1, 1946 Nuremberg Trials. Defendants in the dock. The main target of the prosecution was Hermann Göring (at the left edge on the first row of benches), considered to be the most important surviving official in the Third Reich after Hitler's death

 April, delegates from 50 nations met in San Francisco to discuss creating the UN; Charter ratified in October,  All nations sat in the General Assembly but the five major WW2 Allies (US, USSR, Britain, France, & China) sat as permanent members on the leadership Security Council, with 10 other rotating members on the Council.  United Nations was established to maintain international peace and promote cooperation in solving international economic, social, and humanitarian problems The UN meeting in NYC – Now there are 193 member nations

“What were the signs that a conflict is brewing between the United States and the Soviet Union?”