The Drift Toward War International Affairs 03 18 2013 business Americans as a people had pulled inward increasingly isolationist starting in the early 20 s As a result of isolationism and aftermath of Great Depression Congress set up Nye Committee to investigate why the US had not remained neutral in World War I o Arrived at conclusion that it was the fault of American o American manufacturers and bankers had convinced US government to pull away from neutral position o Pointed at DuPont company Worlds largest manufacturer of gun power explosives Believed they were being scapegoated 1935 US Congress passed a Neutrality Act saying it would take an act of congress to declare war o Would not involve itself in any foreign conflict unless it was directly attacked o All foreign trade would be carried out on a cash and carry basis no credit must pay cash and must pick them up themselves o Rose in popularity because Germany was in deep depression Hitler Japan after WWI o Blamed European Jews o Ki was assassinated o Greater East Asia Co Prosperity Sphere o Japan took over many countries growing its empire o Sudetenland Hitler convinced France and Great Britain that Japan s takeover was a singular event and simply wanted back what was rightly theirs o Bullshit o Within months German army was on the move and began to overrun Eastern and Central Europe Although US was neutral they did provide supplies 1941 Lend Lease o The US would lend to Great Britain what it needed to successfully defend itself o Shows the beginning of a shift away from neutrality Embargo Japan Believed that due to US economy if there was an attack they would back down and go back to supplying for the war abroad December 7th 1941 Japanese attack US Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor Devastating US was struck by this signaled a dark era Day that would live in infamy By 1945 US had produced more steel in a day than Japan had in an entire year Declares war on Japan Japan and Germany had a treaty agreement whereby they would come to each other s aid Once US declares war on Japan Germany declares war on US By early 1942 US government realizes that it needs to take over and manage the economy during the war February 1942 government forbade manufacturing of all automobiles for the domestic market o Had to turn their energy to making tanks and jeep vehicles for o 1942 1945 factories turned out over 3 000 airplanes 80 000 war tanks 5 000 ships Depression just ended overnight 16 million drafted volunteered for military service o Those that were left were working in manufacturing o Everyone who was able to have a job entered military unemployment dropped to 1 2 OPA Office of Price Administration o In charge of making sure that resources were being properly funneled toward the war itself Rationing on all levels of consumer goods Food meat flour butter sugar etc o Issued coupons that consumers needed in order to buy goods Gasoline oil tires Only gave ability to buy still cost money NWLB National Wage Labor Board o Set salary caps for all categories of work to prevent inflation o Supply of goods are low demand really high o Decrease cash in economy 03 18 2013 NWLB During WWII take home pay is 70 higher than what the government regulates o They cant but things with this money though o People have savings Government does not control overtime pay and benefits o During WWII employers begin to offer health care and other insurance benefits o Since wages were controls and employers wanted to retract the best employees possible they began to offer non cash benefits vacation time health insurance General Electric Been in business to provide generating equipment Also went into the appliance business o Were not allowed to produce consumer appliances during WWII o Were ordered to begin to manufacture aircraft engines If they didn t follow these orders their business would be taken over by government They figured out how to make aircraft engines DuPont Largest supplier of gun powder during WWI Government called upon them to provide for WWII o 2 and a half times the amount of explosives they supplied during WWI Government asked them to coordinate the Manhattan project o Atomic energy business Created world s first atomic bomb o No one knows about this project private sector for the war Provided funding for top secret research into a top secret weapon system o 1 of the money devoted to the war was given to this project The DuPont company felt burning during the 1930 s so they agreed to take up the management of the Manhattan project provide factories and materials needed for the engineers to use o Two conditions They would accept no patent They would build for the research for whatever work is involved but would only accept at the end of the war 1 of profit o These conditions existed because they did not want any future blame and they didn t want any liability for any problems that may arise Manhattan Project Average age of people working in this project was 27 o College graduate age People competing for these jobs chemical engineers physicists etc o Drafted in to research Came up with first atomic accelerator o At first when students would be finished with their research they would wash their hands with soap solution that contained borox This soap draws off atomic energy When students went off to handle atomic accelerators it wasn t working on their models and they couldn t figure out why By some chance they switched soap and suddenly things began to work Domestic Life By 1945 the scientists had a working explosive device o Were worried the atmosphere would catch on fire buuuut it didn t o Heat was so intense sand turns to class o August 6th 1945 one of those bombs is dropped on Hiroshima o August 9th 1945 another was dropped on Nagasaki These events ended WWII Opportunities open for African Americans and for women o Women could not get high paying factory jobs until WWII Barriers broke down o In order to successfully conduct the war everybody and all of their talents were needed o Opens up immediate opportunities and changes domestic environment in regard to civil rights Women s right movement comes as a result of WWII Feb 1942 Roosevelt as commander in chief issues Executive Order 9066 o Provide for the evacuation of people in sensitive military areas if it was a threat to national security o Japanese Americans are forcibly moved even though 80 were born in the United States Most were farmers and they had to flee their independent businesses Placed