The Pros And Cons Of World War II A Good War

Companies that were going bankrupt months before were now literally begging for labourers and some even suffered from a shortage of workers. This was mainly due to the rapid production levels the country needed to produce military equipment including ammunition and vehicles etc. A short time after the U.S. declaration of war, the unemployment rate dropped a massive ten per cent from its previous amount. After taxes, business profits almost doubled and industrial output increased massively at 96 per cent. Government expenditure also sored dramatically to 53 per cent of GDP at its peak in 1945, in comparison to around 20 per cent of GDP previous to the war. This contributed to business recovery and gave companies the kick start they needed. Due to productivity doubling, consumer goods also expanded. The war consumed one third of industrial output and this ensured a constant supply of goods, the U.S being the only country with a significant rise in supply despite rationing. Wages also rose 50 per cent higher by 1944, this was a combination of over-time pay and wage increases etc.

Even though the United States emerged as a clear victor of World War I, many Americans after the war felt that their involvement in the conflict had been a mistake (Markus Schoof, “The American Experience During World War II,” slide 3). This belief, however, did not deter the country from engaging in many other international affairs in the future, most importantly the WWII and the Cold War. Right from the Manifest Destiny, which led to expand its empire at home and abroad, to the World War I, the country had come a long way from being somewhat a lonely-land to a global superpower of the 20th century. Its influence in the international arena grew unprecedently after its commitment to the World War II, and like they say, the rest is history. If the WWII was a resounding success to the American legacy, what followed, the Cold War, put many implications on the American diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and to the world. Although the rising Fascism in Europe and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor drove the U.S. to enter the WWII, historians over the years have laid equal blames on both nations for starting the Cold War. These two events helped in shaping up many domestic and foreign policies for the U.S.

World War II changed the lives of many Americans overnight. Men, women, children, everyone was impacted by it in one way or another. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Imperial Japanese, the United States made the decision to enter World War II and fight back. World War II gave those who were discriminated against better opportunities. World War II impacted many Americans especially Latinos, African Americans, and women. Even though they were all discriminated against equally before World War II, during World War II Latinos and African Americans had a more positive experience than women.

During World War II the United States began to manufacture war materials to support its allies through lucrative government defense contracts as automobile factories like Ford and General Motors put aside their usual business operations and began to produce tanks and airplanes, shipyards too expanded their operations . The demand for war equipment naturally increased the demand for labor and as a result helped pull the American economy out of the grips of the Great Depression. Then as the unthinkable happened, on December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, which drew many young American men into the battlefield.

In Michael C.C. Adams’ The Best War Ever America and World War II, the author explains and clarifies the truth about the many myths in and about the war. There are many reasons as to why the war was seen as something positive and as a “good” thing for our nation. Motives such as the media and Hollywood’s glamorization of the war, economic growth within the nation after the Great Depression, and government agenda all had part in this crazy misconception we all know as

To the United States, World War II is believed to be a good war, and why wouldn’t it be considered as such? During World War II, in addition to stopping mass genocide and stopping the spread of Nazism and Fascism, the United States beat Japan after their attack on Pearl Harbor. As a result, the U.S. was no longer in the Depression and the United States became a world power. However, in “The Best War Ever,” Michael C.C. Adams argues that as a result of Hollywood’s glamorization of the war, government propaganda/censorship, and the widespread of economic prosperity, Americans were kept in the dark about the truth regarding World War II resulting in the popular belief and myth that World War II was a good war.

This employed Americans and brought the economy back to life. Another lackluster legacy of The New Deal was its lack of ability to deal with unemployment. The New Deal was only able to bring unemployment down to around 14% at it’s lowest point, while World War II brought this figure down to an incredible 1% (Jeffries). This statistic highlights the stark contrast between the progress made by New Deal policies and the economic achievements of World War II. The war was a perfect job creating machine. It gave a purpose to the government and companies, encouraging them to revamp industry in order to produce war goods for the allies powers. WWII was able to unite the government, workers, and companies in way not previously thought possible (Wilson). During the time of the New Deal companies and workers alike held on to their private interests. Employers were focused on making money and growing their economies, well employees were barely making ends meat for their families and were not thinking of the collective good. World War II gave everyone a purpose to rally around and allowed for an increased production of jobs. This reveals how the war aided in the end of the depression. The depression actually helped with initial wartime production as the industrial system had to be built from the ground up which was easier than complete reorganization. This in turn

War is often a time of bloody battles and numerous casualties; on both sides of the playing field. World War II was one of the bloodiest wars in history; it not only involved the mass genocide of a specific group of people, but it also brought on major changes in America. As a result of the war, many opportunities would open up for women in the work force. When the men were off fighting the war, there was a need for employees to take over the jobs that the men had to do. The emergence of women in the work field served as a catalyst for major events that would take place later on, like the Civil Rights Movement. The idea of “what it means to be a woman” in American society was put to the test, and throughout the war, women would have to constantly fight for their place in society; and the work force. The question arises, “was World War II a good war?” The previously stated question can be answered in a number of ways; race and ethnicity often had a hand in what jobs women could do, and social class also had an impact on what job position women had and how much money they would earn. To best answer the question, “was World War II a good war”; the different experiences of; African American, Japanese, and White women need to be analyzed in order to better understand whether World War II was a “good war”.

The vast majority of Americans supported World War II (WWII) after Pearl Harbor was bombed, recognizing a fascist threat to Western democracy. WWII was a good war. It had the ability to unite America. They united against Nazism and fascism. But even a good War has its bad times. If you look behind what you think happened at what really happened in WWII it becomes clear that the U.S. has nothing to be proud about.

The American economy flourished after World War I. The United States was involved in the war as part of the Allied Powers, and continued to have economic links with their allies, especially Great Britain. Their success in the war made it possible for American soldiers to return back home in 1919 to an economic boom (Baughman 197). Part of this economic boom was due to wartime production. During the war, the petroleum and steel industries were revived and new industries like plastic and rayon production were created. Additionally, more money was spent on technological advancements and making workers more productive, which led to higher wages and more disposable income (Feldmeth).

World War II was a very important event in American history, but as bad as war is or seems to be there always seems to have better outcomes in the end. By the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and bringing America into the war it opened the eyes of all Americans to the problems not only domestically but internationally and the biggest problem that was discovered after the completion of World War II was the level of social equality around the world. It had been a problem that had plagued the world for many years but the atrocities that brought about by the war coupled with the ever growing eye of the media caused for greater concern in the light of social equality in the world.

In the economic aspect, the war ended the Great Depression. (Winkler,1986) In 1940, money was being spent to aid the war effort and in return boosted the American economy. (Winkler,1986) The production of war necessities such as weapons opened up door for the unemployed. (Winkler,1986) Millions of unemployed Americans returned to work to make the weapons of war needed to protect the United States. (Winkler,1986) “During the war 17 million new civilian jobs were created, industrial productivity increased by 96 percent, and corporate profits after taxes doubled.” (Goodwin,1992) War needs directly consumed over one-third of the output of industry causing a slight decrease in consumer goods production. (Goodwin,1992) U.S economy converted to wartime production therefore most consumer goods were

"They were all exhausted and starved and miserable ... A child only half alive ... A woman in the most terrible picture of despair I've seen ... Even when you see it, it's impossible to believe ... God it was terrible" (Forrestal). This description of World War II only scratches the surface of all the negativity surrounding this terrible war. Occurring only 20 years after one of the biggest wars of the time, World War I, this larger war was much worse. World War II was caused by a multitude of events, the immediate cause being Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939. Events leading up to World War II such as World War I and the Treaty of Versailles also led to the start of World War II. In the end, World War II led to many negative events,

Ever wondered what their economy would be like if World War II never happened? Many things show that if World War II never happened America might not have ever gotten out the great depression that they were win before the war. It goes to show how strong America was when their people needed it the most at a time like this. Even though they ran into a trainwreck of problems during this time they still came out on top and helped America be shaped into what it is today. Who knows, maybe America would still be in the great depression today if they had never went to war. Therefore, the World war II economy has had the greatest impact on American society, because it has changed views on certain people or races, boosted them out of the Great Depression,

World War II brought the US out of this period of slow growth. The military needed tanks, planes, guns, and everything else needed for the war effort. People were either back to work or overseas fighting. Production and growth rates reached new highs.