Women During WWII

On September 3rd 1939 World War II started in Europe. During World War II, more than 16 million American men served in the military. While this large portion of the population was overseas fighting for the United States, women had to do many of the jobs in America normally held by men. Women were considered vital assets to the war effort, and the American government made sure to use their skills and labor in many different areas to win the war. Women contributed to the successful war effort by working society, documenting the war effort, and supporting the soldiers.

Some of the issues at hand were the availability of employment, post-traumatic stress, and parenting issues. This led to a lot of turmoil, men wanted normalcy and women had gotten a taste of independence that they were reluctant to give up. This led to several movements after the war ended, from the women's suffrage movement to women's right to vote in 1920, with the passing of the 19 th Amendment. (Women's History Museum) The Women in Industry Service was created during WW1 and was later changed to the Women’s Bureau in 1920, which is, “a federal agency devoted exclusively to the concerns of women in the labor force”. (Department of Labor - Women's Bureau) The Women’s Bureau was created in 1920, is still in force

Prior to World War II women were seen as house wives, taking care of children and tending the gardens. Women generally accepted these roles because family was a prior economic unit. Even during World War I the contributions were housewife like, washing clothing, cooking, helping the wounded, sewing, knitting clothing, and etc. The images of women taking care of the home while men were off working were so nailed into the head that some states banned women from jobs. Once the war started to take place the war effort was so great men and women had to set aside gender roles for the sake of their countries being. Women left families, education, and other jobs to work the jobs men took on while they were off serving the country in combat, etc.

The Allied Powers made it very hard for Germany and Austria and the newly formed countries in

In the past, WWII and WWI, women were very dominant; they had to take care of their children, do all the chores and also had to cook the food. During WWII, women had to take place for the men (First world war.com). The war changed the life for all Canadian women. When men went to fight, women were called upon to fill their jobs, and this included many jobs that were previously thought of unsuitable for women. Women were called up for war work from March 1941(Women during World War II). The roles of the women were positively impacted by World War II, because they had the potential to re-enter the workforce, control the farms and join the military for the first time. Taking control of the military was tough, but women had shown that they could work together and handle the situation.

In World War II, women contributed in many ways by entering the battle. Some of the jobs the women held were Army nurses, Red Cross members, factory work, etc. The United States were one of the few countries that put their women to work and was ridiculed for it. In 1948, President Truman signed the Women 's Armed Services Integration Act which authorized regular and reserve status for women in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. These women showed true leadership by becoming leaders in battle and left a lasting legacy for all women to come.

Peace in Europe was destroyed in the 20th century due to the tensions and mistrust that the most powerful nations in the world felt toward one another. World War I had lasted from 1914 to 1918, with over 10 million soldiers dead. This tragedy started due to three prominent causes: alliances, imperialism, and militarism; out of these, militarism had the most influential impact. To begin, alliances were a major contribution to the development of World War I. The Triple Entente consisted of Russia, France, and Britain, whereas on the opposing side of the war, the Triple Alliance was made up of Italy (who switched sides later), Germany, and Austria-Hungary (Doc. A). These alliances would mean that if one of their allies were at war, then each country had a duty to support one another.

Through the war effort, women solidified their place in society as capable and responsible citizens by working jobs they had never worked before, managing finances and other aspects of home life, and entering the war as soldiers who helped wage against the Axis powers. Women proved for the first time that they were more than just housewives who could sometimes work in factories when the nation was in trouble. General Eisenhower said that “The contribution of the women of America, whether on the farm or in the factory or in uniform, to D-Day was a sine qua non (essential part) of the invasion effort”.1 Some of these women even served as nurses on the front lines and lost their lives defending our soldiers.

World War One had a large impact on the American society. Men were no longer able to work because they were focused on the war and women were left alone. With the demand for resources to support the total war, women were forced to leave their domestic jobs and focus directly on supporting war industries. The total war caused the advancement of women equality by starting them with these new careers in factories, nursing, and building weapons which created a more equal society. Before the war men were the ones to control society leaving women with domestic jobs such as being a maid or working in textile.

The effects that the war had on the women in America were profound. At that time, women still felt as if they were still being unfairly in American society. During the war, the majority of men who were able had to join the forces and fight (Brinkley, pgs. 641-642). As a result of this, women had to step up and fill in for men as many of their jobs were left with no one to complete them. Whether they had

Women were expected to stay at home and not work. Even after they were allowed to work, they were limited in job selection. Men were still dominating in the workforce. However, when the Selective Service Act was passed, factories had no workers to operate the machines. Women had risen, broken through the stereotype and worked in these factories, as well as, other jobs dominated by men. According to World War One, "Overall, during the war years tens of thousands of American women joined the armed forces, over one million worked for wages in industries directly related to the war effort" (Timothy C. Dowling, 295). The Selective Service Act created a situation in which it was necessary for women to work, to ensure the survival of the soldiers. Women were seen as weak, and needed protection, but thousands of women had risked their lives by joining the armed forces voluntarily and by working in factories with explosives. However, women had ultimately protected men by providing them with the means to survive in battle. By doing so, women were essential to the Allied victory in World War I. Women were brave enough to volunteer for military service, as opposed to men who had to be drafted to fight for their country, which shows who was truly more patriotic and willing to fight. The contributions women had in WWI due to the men being drafted for duty spread the belief that women are equals to men. The passing of

Women served an important role in WWII. They not only took the challenge and stepped up to take the places of the men off fighting in the war to work in factories, but they also fought side by side with those risking their lives and fighting for their country. They were needed everywhere during the war. There were an unbelievable amount of job opportunities for women during the war and many supported the brave acts of voluntary enlistment. “‘A woman’s place is in the home’ was an old adage, but it still held true at the start of World War II. Even though millions of women worked, home and family we considered the focus of their lives” says Brenda Ralf Lewis. Without the help of those women who were brave enough to

After getting an education as well as knowing there worth in society women knew there were more than just a wife and mother. During WWII women demonstrated their power to think in a world without men as they were off fighting the war. Women began to understand that they had more to offer the world other than housekeeping and raising children. In addition, many women wanted to continue working after the war as they had held jobs with responsibilities as well as earning wages. Furthermore, women were the ones making financial decisions as well as working in positions with higher responsibilities. Many women as well as minorities were simply casted a side to make room for the returning solders. This created a silent discontent among women

The alliance system allowed for a large at scale war to happen. Germany was brought into the war when its ally, Austria-Hungary, declared war on Serbia. Russia was allied with Serbia and France. Germany Executed the Schlieffen Plan in order to take out France. England was also allied with France but joined the war to Belgium, a Neutral country, that had been invaded by Germany. In conclusion all of these events would cause a bigger war to outbreak.

extended the length of the draft and expanded the draft to me aged 18 to 38. Approximately ten million men were drafted through the Selective Service System as a result.