How did World War 2 affect the US economy?

Question

I'm doing a presentation for my history class about weapons and technology in WWII and how is it different from previous wars like WWI. I need to think in terms of how it was used and what tactics were used and how it effected the American economy. I hope that some of you can help be before I have to present on Monday(4/23/07) Thank you. :]

Answer 1

When we got into World war II we were still in the Great depression. It brought us out of it. After Pearl Harbor we started drafting men into the army in great numbers. Before this our army was smaller than Holland's. This helped to diminish unemployment. It put the country on a war footing. We began to increase our military capacity by building armaments esp. planes. Nothing can help an economy like war. Because so many men were drafted into the army, women were employed to do work that was previously only done by men, like welding and producing armaments. Our technology especially in weaponry was far behind that of our enemies at the beginning of the war. We didn't have planes as good as Japan or Germany at the beginning. Our Sherman tanks couldn't compare with the German tanks. We had to catch up. So since WWII and the beginning of the Cold War we feel that we cannot afford not to have the best weapons. Military spending has been an important part of our economy ever since.
The military tactics were different in WWI and WWII. In WWI it was mostly trench warfare. The Second World War saw the use of "blitzkreig" warfare. I hope this has been a help to you.
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Answer 2

aaakphut's right: WW2 effectively transferred the wealth of the European empires to American capitalists, allowing the US to build a massive industrial base while suffering very little in direct effects of the war.

The British spent all their money buying US weapons to keep themselves fighting, and then borrowed heavily to buy more. So they emerged from WW2 with a depressed economy (millions fighting instead of working) and a huge debt.

WW2 was very much an industrial war- a war of 'stuff'- and this meant that more than any other war before the business and economics behind it were of enormous importance.

Answer 3

Check out this website which will help you answer your question.. it is a lecture about "World War II: The Impact at Home"
http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture21.html

The quick fall of France to the German army in 1940 shook the strong pacifist sentiment of the American public. Suddenly, Great Britain alone stood between Nazi Germany and the United States. Once the United States was fully committed to the war in December of 1941, patriotism soared in American society. Americans' willingness to carry out blackout and civil defense drills; to recycle metals, paper, and even cooking fats; to work longer hours, but to have fewer consumer goods to buy with their salaries demonstrated the nation's strong support for the war. There were political changes as well, as the country began to shift to the right. This lecture examines the domestic side of World War II and the changes that took place in American society during the war.

Answer 4

Us Economy During Ww2

Answer 5

Also important is the effect the war effort had on a more efficient industry. Several methods were developed to enhance manufacturing quality : Statistical process control, Total Quality Management, the control chart, American War Standards, ...

Important names were Walter A. Shewhart and W. Edwards Deming.

Unfortunately, their methods were thrown out by American companies after the war, but became the basis for the Japanese industrial boom in the 60s. Deming is better known in Japan then in his own country!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Edwards_Deming#Early_life_and_work
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_A._Shewhart
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Quality_Management
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistical_process_control

Answer 6

one angle you could use, is how the destructive power of both sides pretty much destroyed European manufacturing capacity. After the war, the US had something like 85% of the WORLD'S manufaturing capacity. We made everything, exported it to shattered countries, and grew rich.

Answer 7

It freeze prices and wages. It also created a lot of shortages because everything was going for the war effort. There was a lot of rationing.

Answer 8

Increased numbers of working women - APEX

Answer 9

Sorry, my crystal ball is down at the moment and since WWII history information is a big secret (can't find anything on it at Google, or anyplace else like the library), well, I guess your SOL. Kid, YOU are supposed to do the research and disseminate information and spend time on this paper, not come here and ask us to do YOUR HOMEWORK FOR YOU! Better get off your dead behind and start researching. You sound totally lazy and not too resourceful. Better hurry, time's wasting!