The 1940’sThe Decade of War

Dino, Eugene, John, and Mark

U.S. Foreign Policy in the 1940’s

Driving ForcesDisagreement on control of Europe

The Marshall PlanNATO

Berlin BlockadeKorean War - Asia

The Driving Force…

Political Figures

Cabinet Secretaries

Diplomacy

Diplomacy cont….

Vacation time…

Fads

• The Frisbee!

• The Suburbs

• Dancing at Night Clubs

The original patent drawing

College Fads:--Crowding in phone booths--Swallowing goldfish--Flag pole sitting

Graffiti left by American soldiers in various places all over the battle campaign during WWII.

Speeches

• A Date Which Will Live In Infamy

• The Only Thing We Have To Fear…

• A Just and Lasting Peace

Fashion of the 1940s

Small size apron in two styles.

Ladies dressing gown

Four-piece sectional skirt with a cascading over skirt.

Hip trousers and smock/jacket.

1940s women’s suit

The suit has a black suit jacket and tan skirt.

1940's black crepe dress with black lace insert on shoulders and black lace short sleeves. Lace on sleeves is see through lace, lace across chest has beige liner underneath.

Men’s Formal Clothing

Men’s Casual Clothing

Songs

• Glen Miller Orchestra• Tommy Dorsey

Orchestra• Duke Ellington

Orchestra• Cab Calloway• Harry James Orchestra

Entertainment

Humphrey BogartIngrid Bergman

Bob Hope

Bette Davis

Olivia de Havilland

Mickey Rooney

Gary Cooper

Judy Garland

Katherine Hepburn

Sports

• Jackie Robinson (1947) First African-American player in Major League Baseball.

• Ted Williams (1941) hit .406 “Splendid Splinter”

• Girls Play Baseball

Sports

• Roller Derby– Although invented in 1935, this sport enjoyed

its heyday during the 1940’s.

Sports

• Pro Wrestling was in a popular time as well. Below is Johnny Valentine, a popular star of the era.

College Football• Notre Dame was one of the top teams in the

country.– 4 National Titles during the decade.

Scientists and Inventors

• Charles Drew - separate blood and Plasma• Use of Penicillin - Fleming• Hedy Lammar (1940’s film goddess) -

Spread Spectrum - Use of many radio frequencies at the same time (now used for cell phones, etc.)

• Use of DDT against the gypsy moth…• Manhattan Project – Atomic bomb

Art• Varga Girl• One of the most recognizable images created by Vargas during World War II. American

GI's frequently copied this particular painting onto their aircraft as a symbol of good luck. She poses with an expression of serenity on her face suggesting that all will be well.

ArtThe American galIs a peach of a palTo the boys who are guarding our nation,She girds for the fightBy the yawn's early lightAnd her war job is done with elation!She always respondsWhen she's asked to buy bonds--No critic can label her flighty,And because it's in styleTo conserve with a smileShe's conserving by day and by nighty!

Art• Abstract Impressionism - Jackson Pollock

• American artist - Andrew Wyeth

Literature abounded !

Norman Mailer – The Naked and the Dead

Dr. Benjamin Spock’s “Common Sense about Baby and Child Care”

“The Human Comedy” by William Saroyan

Children’s books too!

• 1944: Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

• 1943: The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

• 1945: Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson

• 1948: White Snow, Bright Snow, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin; text: Alvin Tresselt

The most significant humanitarian event of the late 1940’s (1949) was the Berlin Airlift

Operation Vittles

At the height of the Berlin Airlift, two groups of aircraft flew in four-hour blocks around the clock.

Through the efforts of the United States and its Allies, the people of Berlin……

….were able to survive their city being cut off from the rest of the world by the Soviet Union

In the speech announcing the plan, Marshall outlined the problem: "Europe's requirements are so much greater than her present ability to pay that she must have substantial additional help or face economic, social, and political deterioration of a very grave character." He then suggested a solution: that the European nations themselves set up a program for the reconstruction of Europe, with United States assistance. The significance of Marshall's plan was immediately recognized. On June 13, British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin (1891-1951) predicted that his address "will rank as one of the greatest speeches in world history."

Marshall Testifies

Truman Signs

Marshall Plan

In 1945 we saw the first supercomputer!

Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC)

Science Advancements

In 1947 the “one eyed monster” was developed

• We know it as Television

Description of the Time…

• 'If this weapon fizzles, each of you can look forward to a lifetime of testifying before congressional investigating committees." Gen. Groves to his staff, December 24, 1944

• "The Most Terrible Weapon Ever Known in Human History" – Harry Truman

Letter from Horace Evers2 May ; 1945Dearest Mom and Lou,A year ago today I was sweating out shells on Anzio

Beachhead ; today I am sitting in Hitler’s luxuriously furnished apartment in Munich writing a few lines home. ; What a contrast. ; A still greater contrast is that between his quarters here and the living hell of DACHAU Concentration Camp only 10 miles from here. ; I had the misfortune of seeing the camp yesterday and I still find it hard to believe what my eyes told me.-

Historian Views…

• “Every Manufacturer in the United States had a Rubber Stamp that simply stated. TERMINATION OF GOVERNMENT CONTRACT There was a Deluge of Pink Slips terminating the employment of millions of workers who had endured 4 years of mind bending - back breaking work, to support the WAR effort. It would take some time for the industrial forces to redesign -regroup - retool - as well as retrain this post war army. It took almost 3 more years before the peace time engine started to provide work .”

• “Movie makers and Historians have more or less, glossed over the trials and tribulations of the people we left behind during those horrific times. Four years of total darkness weighed heavily on the Home Front. Four years of giving, and very little getting in return, was a high price to pay. The elderly "Air Raid Wardens" in outdated uniforms, patrolled the neighborhood informing people that a light was shining out the edge of a window shade' please cover it.”

• “One of the most believable radio commentators that I can remember was H.V.Kaltenborn . He opened his news broadcasts each night with the same introduction "There's Bad News Tonight" On some occasions he would intone "There's Good News Tonight" Then he would explain the plight of our fighting men around the globe. All news broadcasts were (censored) edited in advance by government agents, to put a favorable spin the story.”

Ed T. Braun - Author

Business and Industry

• Anything War Related– Ship building; tanks; aircraft; defense industries

Business and Industry

No business wouldhave been successfulwithout the working woman!

WWIIRAF Spitfire

D-Day

Battle of the Bulge

Tuskegee Airmen

“Zero” taking off 12/7/1941

Japan signing the peace treaty

German Plane

Extra Thoughts…

• Central Theme: WWII• Significant Events

– Positive – Country rallied together to fight.– Negative – A generation of young people were

at war.

• Differences Then and Now– Patriotism; Willingness to sacrifice; Women

didn’t work as much except during the war.

Extra Thoughts

• The event with the most lasting influence…

Or some might say…

“Little Boy” - Hiroshima“Fat Man” - Nagasaki