In the Service of Wartime Society

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In the Service of War-time Society

• Gender during WWII

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• I. From Isolationism to War (1934-1941)
• A. Governmental Policies
• 1. Sen. Gerald Nye Congressional Hearings 1934-6
• Investigating Committee with Nye
• 3rd from left
• 2. Neutrality Acts 1935, 1936, 1937
• 3. Comparative Lack of US Military Spending
• 1937 Gross Natl Incomes (in billions) for
  Military
• US 68 1.5 Germany 17 23.5
• Britain 22 5.7 Italy 6 14.5
• France 10 9.1 USSR 19 26.4 Japan 4 28.2

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• 4. Chronology of Weak Protests
• 1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact (62 nations signed)
• 1931 Japan seized Manchuria
• 1933 US recognized USSR govt majority of
  Germans voted for to elect Adolf Hitler
  chancellor
• 1935 Italy under Benito Mussolini invaded
  Ethiopia
• Nuremberg Laws but restricted immigration to US
• 1937 Sino-Japanese War cf. US Neutrality Act
• 1938 Germany under Hitler annexed Austria
• British appeasement policy
• Kristallnacht internment
• 1939 Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact
• US coast Guard prevented St. Louis 930 refugees
• FDR stretched Neutrality Act

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• 1940 USSR invaded Finland
• Germany invaded Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands,
  France
• Japan joined Tripartite Pact with Germany
  Italy
• US 1st peacetime draft, FDR replaced War
  Cabinet
• 1941 Aid to Allies (undeclared war)
• B. Popular Pacifism
• 1. Economic Governmental
• 2. Anti-business
• 3. Ethnic
• C. Spin on Pearl Harbor to Turn Public Opinion
• 12-7-41 Sec. of War Harry Stimpson

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• D. Expanding the Arsenal of Democracy
• 1. 1941 Black Protestthreatened March on DC
• Fair Employment Practices Commission
• 2. 382 Marine Platoon of Navajo Code Talkers
  1942-5
• 3. Women in War
• 6 million entered labor force (1 in 10 married)
• 50 increase (37 of all women)
• 2.5mill manufacturing
• 2mill clerical

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• Opportunity for Black women (dom.serv 17.7 ?
  9.5)
• Still earned 65 of mens wages
• Childcare working ? w kids under 10yo 7.8 ?
  12.1
• 1943 Lanham Act
• 130,000 kids in day care
• 320,000 after school programs
• Daycare center at Henry Kaiser Portland
  Shipyard, for
• employees. This was one of the first daycare
  centers

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• 2 military women
• Womens Army Corp (WAC) 140,000
• Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service
• (WAVES) 100,000
• Nursing Corps of Army Navy 75,000 in N.
  Africa, Italy, France
• Marine Corp (MCWR) Coast Guard (SPARS)
  39,000
• Women Air Service Pilots (WASP) 1,074
  graduated
• as job opportunities chemical lab assistant,
  topography drafting, photographic technician,
  radio repair.