How Did World War 2 Affect The Economy

“Physical strength can never permanently withstand the impact of spiritual force.” So truthfully declared from the 32nd president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, World War Two was the most impactful era upon our thriving nation. Even with multiple impending warnings signifying an approaching war, America consequently lacked preparation for such a global calamity. Moreover, such a calamity proved a turning point for the nation as it thoroughly concluded the Great Depression. Gandering back upon the circumstances of the war, America’s industrial increase displayed an extraordinary mobilization of an idle economy. World War Two ascertains the nation’s ideological breakthrough in three considerable instances; the change in workforce,

The Great Depression virtually rubbed out industry, posing difficulties in both productivity and economics. Through the grips of the war, a multitude of citizens severed the military, the numbers soaring well above 15 million. Due to the swell of military personnel, training and supplying the soldiers demonstrated an ever prominent challenge. Circumstances decreased to such an extent that toy guns and wood tanks were the only available resources to train new personnel and gearing up for new recruits was severely handicapped from lack of manpower in the factories. However, that challenge became acquainted with its overpowering rival as the workforce grew 20 percent over the entire course of the war. While the workforce grew, so did the diversity of the workers; women and the African-American culture entered and became ingrained into the industries, and totaled 17 million new jobs. Even when the war fizzled to a well appreciated end, Roosevelt kept women and African-Americans in the industries under the impression of them increasing not only war time moral, but moral in all aspects of the word. Overall, in the years of the war, industrial efficiency and production leapt to a staggering 96

Production is not a free industry and requires funding for both raw materials and equipment, not to mention to pay the workers so diligently producing the product. Congress could provide the industries with money, yet it was left to the industries themselves to produce the required product. The U.S. government dispensed a total sum of 350 billion dollars for war time funds. Not only was there the issue of the industries requiring workers, but it also required competition; which was never in short supply. Soon, it no longer became interindustrial competition, but internal competition; it all became a game of how much more could industries produce per quarter. The war effort in total consumed over one third the gross production, yet it left enough for the basic citizens to provide well enough for their families. Consequently, the war effort required such a large supply, gas and tires were rationed, men’s suits lost their vests and pant cuffs as not to waste material, and ladies would paint their legs to give the illusion of wearing nylons for the same reasons. With such an effort put into the war and into industries, the nation’s economy grew close to twelve