Comparing the U.S., Soviet Union & China During WW2

Learn It Part 2

Let us go back to our research question, “What was the impact of World War II on the military and civilian populations of the United States, the Soviet Union and China?”

To fully answer the question about the United States, you need to analyze both qualitative and quantitative information about the entire participation of the United States in the war.

Review the following qualitative and quantitative information to help answer the research question.

Qualitative Information: The World War II Home FrontQualitative Information: The World War II Home Front

This excerpt from History Now is an example of qualitative information about the impact of the war on the civilians in the United States.:

World War II had a profound impact on the United States. Although no battles occurred on the American mainland, the war affected all phases of American life. In the economic arena, the war ended the Great Depression. Military spending in the defense effort gave the nation’s economy the boost it needed, and millions of unemployed Americans returned to work to make the weapons of war .Americans did whatever was necessary to support the war effort. They bought billions of dollars’ worth of bonds to help defray the cost of the war. They saved metals and fats to be recycled into military material. They planted “victory gardens” to provide fruits and vegetables for personal use. Americans faced shortages that required of rationing of gasoline and food staples. As millions of men entered the military services, the women entered the work force to keep production going. Japanese Americans were the worst civilian casualties of the war. The War Relocation Authority ignored constitutional qualms and forcibly moved Japanese Americans to ten detention camps in seven western states. For the most part, Americans looked back fondly on World War II. They had fought against totalitarian dictatorships for democratic ideals and they had won. The world was a better place for the sacrifices they had made.

Source: Winkler, Allan M. (Winter 2007). The World War II Home Front. History Now 14. Retrieved from hereOpens a new window

Qualitative Information: Unemployment Rate and War EffortQualitative Information: Unemployment Rate and War Effort

Qualitative Information: Women in the Workforce – World War IIQualitative Information: Women in the Workforce – World War II

The charts linked to above deepen your understanding of the impact of World War II on American civilians by providing data that support the qualitative information. The charts also show the impact of the war into the 21^st century.

The final piece of qualitative information to examine is the American casualties during World War II.

Qualitative Information: Total U.S. CasualtiesQualitative Information: Total U.S. Casualties

From this chart on Business Insider called Total U.S. Casualties by WarOpens a new window (scroll down to second chart), you can determine the number of Americans killed in battle and non-battle situations and the number of wounded or missing in action. The chart also compares World War II to other American wars and you can see that only the American Civil War had more deadly consequences for the United States.

With the integration of the qualitative and quantitative forms of information, you are now prepared to answer the part of the research question:

What was the impact of World War II on the military and civilian populations of the United States, the Soviet Union and China?