Mobilization: to organize or adapt (industries, transportation facilities, etc.) for service to the government in time of war. (Dictionary.com)
Suggested Thesis:
Through shared determination Americans on the home front, controlled industries, organized transportation, and sacrificed at home to help win World War 2.
How your 5 projects must support your thesis:
You will create 5 projects that reveal how Americans on the home front, through a shared determination and sacrifices, helped to win World War 2.
War Mobilization
Women and Railroads During World War II The industry that would carry the lion’s share of responsibility for achieving war readiness was the railroads. One unrecognized group of people that greatly contributed to this mobilization effort by the railroads was the women of America.
Adapting and Mobilizing for War Although the United States did not officially enter the war until after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the real mobilization of the legacy agencies began in late 1939.
Mobilization in World War II The munitions program of June 1940, the clearest practical manifestation of the defense period represented an effort to estimate and cope with the anticipated expansion of the force. Its goals included the procurement by October 1941 of all items needed to equip and maintain an army of 1.2 million, including the Air Corps, and creation of production facilities to support an army of over four million. Directed by the Army and Navy Munitions Board, this program set up a priorities system, apportioned industrial capacity between the services, cleared foreign contracts for munitions production in the United States, and compiled military needs for strategic raw materials. Procurement districts, arsenals, depots, and other establishments were activated and expanded. The $6 billion that was allotted was only half of the War Department's request.
WW II Mobilization Effort World War II military posts are where simple wood-frame buildings tell a fascinating story of American ingenuity and the nation’s ability to create and produce quickly, under pressure. In the fall of 1939, two years before our nation officially entered the war, the US Army comprised of only 200,000 enlisted soldiers and there was little need for new or updated housing. Beginning in 1940, the military started drafting men into the army and navy and military ranks began to swell as hundreds of thousands of draftees –- all of whom had to be housed - entered the service. Within just five years, the army had risen to the challenge and built temporary military housing for all of its soldiers –- a total of approximately 6 million men by 1944!
Video
Portrayal of the steps that led up to Pearl Harbor and total mobilization of World War II. (You will need to fast forward the film to get to the section about mobilization.
Mobilizing citizens on the homefront in World War II.
War Industries
World War, 1939-1945 -- War work Photographs and Posters
War History Commission World War II Poster Collection Posters
Rosie Pictures: Select Images Relating to American Women Workers During World War II Photographs
Americans Sacrifice for the War
Civilian War Services Americans shared a bond of sacrifice during World War II. Millions joined the armed forces to fight the enemy abroad while tens of millions stayed home and found other ways to help the cause. This section explores the ways people on the home front worked to support the war effort.
Powers of Persuasion Guns, tanks, and bombs were the principal weapons of World War II, but there were other, more subtle forms of warfare as well. Words, posters, and films waged a constant battle for the hearts and minds of the American citizenry just as surely as military weapons engaged the enemy. National Archives and Records Administration
Use it up, Wear it out During the war years, gasoline, rubber, sugar, butter, and meat were rationed. Government publicity reminded people that shortages of these materials occurred because they were going to the troops, and that civilians should take part in conservation and salvage campaigns.
Meaning of Sacrifice To guard against complacency, the Government promoted messages that reminded civilian America of the suffering and sacrifices that were being made by its Armed Forces overseas.
World War II Ration Book This ration book was issued to Virginia K. Pooley of Toledo, Ohio during World War II. Due to a shortage of supplies essential for the war effort, the United States government implemented a rationing program. The ration book is part of a collection of war ration books issued by the U.S. Office of Price Administration
Civilian Defense
Civilian Protection American civilian and military leaders took countless steps to protect the nation's population during World War II, from blackouts to incident drills. This section looks at some of the ways the government and people of Oregon secured the homeland against attack.
Manhattan Project and War Technology
The Manhattan Project: Making the Atomic Bomb The Manhattan Project: Making the Atomic Bomb is a short history of the origins and development of the American atomic bomb program during World War II.
The Manhattan Project (and Before) This Manhattan Project predecessor, code named the S-1 project
Manhattan Project In 1942 the Manhattan Engineer Project was set up in the United States under the command of Brigadier General Leslie Groves.
History of the Atomic Bomb & The Manhattan Project Albert Einstein and other scientists told Roosevelt of Nazi Germany efforts ... Scientists Who Invented the Atomic Bomb under the Manhattan Project
The Letter from Albert Einstein to President Franklin D. Roosevelt This letter from Albert Einstein to President Franklin D. Roosevelt led to the Manhattan Engineering District, also known as "the Manhattan Project"
Albert Einsteins involvement with the Manhattan Project In December 1941, the government launched the Manhattan Project, the scientific and ... Albert Einstein, upon hearing the news of the Hiroshima bombing ...
Science Pitches In In June of 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the National Defense Research Committee "to coordinate, supervise, and conduct scientific research on the problems underlying the development, production, and use of mechanisms and devices of warfare.
TeacherTube: O Fortuna Atomic Bomb
The M-1 It was gas-operated, weighed under 10 pounds, and was loaded by an 8-round clip. It fired more than twice as fast as the Army's previous standard-issue rifle and was praised by Gen. George S. Patton, Jr., as "a magnificent weapon" and "the most deadly rifle in the world."
Government Produced Videos
Three Cities (ca. 1943) Newsreel like segments telling how The Common Man Helps Each Other during Wartime! In segment one, A pile of families move into wartime housing, only to realize the school is not built yet. No problem, we'll just use one of the non-used houses to teach the children!! This leads to ultrabizarre shots of kids desks crammed into what looks like a kitchen..
Segment 2 details people living in trailer parks because of the war. Problem is, those darned kids just can't keep quiet while someone is sleeping! No problem, we'll just import some dangerous-looking dilipadated sheds the army is not using, take them apart and rebuild a community hall/school. This looks.. rickity.
Segment 3 is a typical rah of how people use Sunday, their day of rest of course, to be trained off to do hard labor for the army. I wonder how many people would want to do that now..
It Can't Last (ca. 1944) World War II propaganda film aimed at the shorefront, attempting to increase popular mobilization.
All Out for Victory (ca. 1943) Contributions of handicapped and disabled workers to World War II industrial production.
It's Everybody's War (1945) Plea for increased commitment by Americans to win the war.
Letter From Bataan, A (1944) A soldier pleads to the folks to home to conserve scarce wartime resources.
Victory Is Our Business (1942) Patriotic motivational film for World War II industrial workers.
Manpower (ca. 1943) The battle for industrial production in World War II.
Suggestion Box (1945) How war plant workers made suggestions that resulted in efficiency and economy.
These People (1944) Frigidaire plant converts to military production during World War II.
Every Minute Counts (1944) Balancing work and family in a time of heightened mobilization.
Remember These Faces (1945) Intense view of American soldiers in combat, produced to sell World War II bonds.
My Japan (1945) Complex and disturbing anti-Japanese propaganda film produced to spur the sale of U.S. war bonds. CONTENT ADVISORY: Explicit racism and extreme violence.
Wartime Nutrition (1943) Wartime work of public welfare agencies in the field of nutrition.
Arm Behind the Army, The (1942) How winning World War II depends on successful labor-management collaboration.
Highballing to Victory (1944) Transportation in wartime.
Conquer by the Clock (1943) Encourages American workers to make the best possible use of their time in a war where industrial production and combat are synchronized on an international level.
Campus on the March (ca. 1942) U.S. colleges and universities retool to assist war effort.
These Are the People (1944) Workers of a Wisconsin town mobilize for World War II production.
Men and Jobs (1944) How the U.S. government tried to match every person to a job during World War II.
Avenge December 7 (Pearl Harbor) (1942) War bond sales promo stridently advocating vengeance against Japan for bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Close Harmony (1942) Discussion on the need for unity between labor and management as the U.S. mobilizes for World War II. (Opens with a very racist portrayal of African-Americans).
Henry Browne, Farmer (1942) Daily life of a patriotic African American farmer in Georgia during World War II.
Curtiss-Wright Shorts (7 Subjects) (1944) Short screen ads recruiting workers for aircraft manufacturing during World War II.
What to Do in a Gas Attack (1942) Explains what war gas is, how it is used by the enemy, and how simple household items, such as bicarbonate of soda and bleaching solution, may be used to prevent casualties.
Negro Colleges in Wartime (ca. 1944) Education and training of African Americans as part of the World War II effort.
Food for Fighters (ca. 1943) Importance of nutrition in wartime.
Wood For War (ca. 1942) Forest production and its strategic importance during wartime. In Kodachrome.
When Work Is Done (ca. 1943) War plant workers flood the town of Sylacauga, Alabama, and the town constructs facilities and organizes activities to make them feel welcome. Excellent, idealized view of homefront life in a World War II factory town.
Worksheets that can be useful for the project:
Motion Picture Analysis Worksheet
Sound Recording Analysis Worksheet
Written Document Analysis Worksheet
Resources:
Multigenre Rubrics and Checklists