World War II: Women in Industry

Traditionally, males were primarily responsible for fighting. It was thought to be a strenuous physical activity that women were not suitable for. (Park 403). The art of fighting had been streamlined before the first major conflict. It involved the formation of two opposing groups by the parties, who would then engage in combat on a single or several fronts. To cause the most damage, armies would ambush one another or gather at a predetermined location. This, however, altered as a result of technological advancements. Long-distance flight capabilities have significantly changed contemporary warfare.

Armies wouldn't have to traverse perilous territory and ferocious wildlife over countless kilometers. They would forego the pestilences and extreme conditions that had hitherto, marked the art of war. As such, it became less corporal and significantly more alluring to persons of less physical magnitude. However, one group that remained particularly systematically disenfranchised as far as drafting was concerned was women. They were generally no considered as critical or even potentially significant in the pursuit of a favorable income. They were relegated to being home-keepers and other politically inconsequential roles. However, this was to change considerably after World War I.

The First World War opened the world up to the reality of globalization. Before then, much of armed conflict was localized. National regions annexed their neighbors to expand their territories. Native groups in India and Africa fought to avert imperial influence and to relieve themselves of the punitive colonial rule. The forming of intercontinental alliances was unheard-of. The war awakened the globe developed world to an age or arms race and passive aggression. As such, it became important, even essential for nations to prepare themselves for the reality of armed conflict. Nations had armed themselves with highly destructive weapons and overall international tranquility was delicate. To improve the efficiency of their efforts, countries on either side of the conflict contracted the services of women. They took a wide variety of roles. It is important to note that at the time, the world was considerably culturally conservative. Public opinion was overwhelmingly against women at the frontline prompting their adaptation in the supporting industry.

Thesis Statement

The impact of women in the Second World War was immensely consequential to the outcome of the war. Although it was the first time women took part in international conflict, their roles were critical to the overall performance of their factions’ war machinery. The article intends to study the overall industrial input of the women.

Literature Review

The subject of women industry in the Second World War has been significantly explored. Much literature has attempted to explain the invaluable contribution that women made to their factors all across the divide. Researchers have intricately dissected the subject and outline their findings. One such research expedition is the article, "Shocking Labor Supply: A Reassessment of the Role of World War II on Women's Labor Supply by Claudia Goldin and Claudia Olivetti. Goldin and Olivetti (258) explain that unprecedented huge scale of the conflict marked the tipping point for women involvement in the war. The domestic roles were no longer enough and had to be expanded. A number of countries enlisted women for combat roles with many being awarded positions in the anti-aircraft department. The U.S. public was viciously opposed to this position at first.

Goldin and Olivetti (264) explain that the impact of women in the war was far more elaborate in certain societies such as in the Japanese army. They estimate that as 360,000 women from the greater Southeast Asia region may have been forced by the army into sexual slavery. Dubbed “comfort women,” their role was principally to offer sexual services to the fighters. Murdoch et al. (75) appear to support this assertion. In their publication, Women and War, the authors note the women were lured by promises of work in exotic restaurants and factories. They were then incarcerated and confined in the war stations.

Dobie and Lang (14) note that women in most of the allied armies took offer support functions to concentrate their men’s efforts to the frontline. In the field, they would drive light mechanical transport automobiles, cook in messes and dispensaries, and offered typing and clerical services. They also acted as messengers and telephone operators. Back at home, women took up more technical responsibilities, these included shipbuilding, logging, and working in military cafeterias. They also doubled up as munitions workers as scientists.

In her book, Comfort Women During WWII: Are US Courts a Final Resort for Justice, Byoungwook Park explains that women in Poland and Germany were awarded more prominent roles in the war. They acted as weapon couriers, medics with some actively taking part in the fighting. Perhaps the most decorated female fighter, Wanda Gertz was awarded the country’s highest honors for her bravery in the battle field. The Soviet Union enlisted perhaps the highest number of women for active armed duty. A record 800,000 women participated in the various functions available in the battery (Groves n.p). These included firing guns, operating anti-aircraft units and flying bombers in the Air Force. This was against the backdrop that they were paid significantly less than their male counterparts and other natural womanhood challenges.

Methodology

There were two main methodologies utilized in the completion of this order. These included descriptive research and interviews. As has been noted earlier in this article, there is a vast array of literature on this topic. These include books, journals, and web articles among others. Descriptive research aptly analyzes such secondary material to produce relevant data. Two historians were interviewed to provide firsthand account of the industrial impact of women in the Second World War. They were Dr Zoë Groves, a lecturer of Modern Global, Colonial and Postcolonial History at the University of Leicester and Prof. Fredrik Albritton Jonsson, an associate professor of British History and the Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science at the Department of History at the University of Chicago.

Discussion

The study revealed that prior to the Second World War, women were largely not considered for nay military activity. In many developed nations, they were mostly regarded as homemakers with no place at the field of combat. However, as has been noted, the trait changed after the first Great War (Jonsson n.p). Astonished by the extent of the war, most nations expanded their operations to extend and invited women to join.

As the two historians concurred, majority of the armies denied women the right to engage in frontline combat, instead, relegating them to supporting functions. However, a few of them such as the Soviet Union and Poland offered women such opportunities with women performing duties such as air surveillance and aerial payload delivery. All in all, much of the contribution of women during the war was restricted to the provision of medical and hospitality services as well as the issuing of “moral support” as is with the Japanese “comfort women.”

Conclusion

The contribution of women to the Second World War cannot be overstated. Women participated in various capacities all through the war, considerably changing the outcome of the war. They participated as cooks, machine drivers, hospitality services providers, and medical personnel. In some armies, the ladies operated communication equipment and performed clerical duties. Public support for the deployment of women in the frontline was sharply divided. Some countries such as the United States harshly contested the approach with others such as the Soviet Union allowing them to participate in actual fighting. All in all women steered the course of the war, forever defining the practice of modern combat.

Works Cited

Dobie, Kathryn S., and Eleanor Lang. Her war: American women in WWII. Iuniverse, 2003.

Goldin, Claudia, and Claudia Olivetti. "Shocking labor supply: A reassessment of the role of World War II on women's labor supply." The American Economic Review 103.3 (2013): 257-262.

Groves, Zoë. Lecturer of Modern Global, Colonial and Postcolonial History at the University of Leicester. N.p

Jonsson, Fredrik Albritton. Associate professor of British History and the Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science at the Department of History at the University of Chicago.

Murdoch, Maureen, et al. "Women and war." Journal of General Internal Medicine 21.S3 (2006).

Park, Byoungwook. "Comfort Women During WWII: Are US Courts a Final Resort for Justice." Am. U. Int'l L. Rev. 17 (2001): 403.