A City at War

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Milwaukee Labor During World War II

Richard L. Pifer

An in-depth exploration of the complexities of the home front and the way Milwaukeeans responded to the most significant war of the twentieth century.

228 pages, 6 x 9, 31 b&w photos
Paperback: $24.95 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-729-7
Ebook: $9.99 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-482-1
Publication Date: 1/15/2015

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Description

World War II united Americans as few moments have in our history. Everyone felt the effects of the war, whether through concern for loved ones in danger, longer work hours, consumer shortages, or participating in war service organizations and drives. Men and women workers produced the essential goods necessary for victory: the vehicles, weapons, munitions, and components for all the machinery of war. Workers and their unions made daily sacrifices on behalf of the war effort and sought victory like everyone else on the home front. They bought bonds, donated scrap, and served on numerous boards and committees. Nevertheless, strikes and less visible forms of industrial conflict continued throughout the war. Members of the Greatest Generation, whether workers or managers, sought to protect their interests for the future. Milwaukeeans greeted the advent of World War II with the same determination as other Americans.

A City at War focuses on the experiences of working men and women in a community that was not a wartime boomtown. Because Milwaukee was a city of established factories and neighborhoods and its workers were aware of the city’s labor past, the sacrifices of wartime did not blind them to a vision of a future security. As wartime wages failed to keep pace with inflation, workers and unions worried about maintaining jobs and earning power in a postwar world. As managers and companies profited from the war, they worried about controlling production costs and meeting the challenges of postwar competitors.

A City at War provides readers with a complex view of the home front and the way Americans responded to the most significant war of the twentieth century.

Author Bio

Richard L. Pifer

Richard L. Pifer is a respected historian with deep ties to Wisconsin’s historical landscape. He earned his PhD in American History from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and served as the Director of Reference and Public Services at the Wisconsin Historical Society until retiring in 2015. A leading scholar on home-front wartime experiences, Pifer focuses on industrial labor dynamics during both World Wars. In addition to A City at War: Milwaukee Labor During World War II, he authored The Great War Comes to Wisconsin: Sacrifice, Patriotism, and Free Speech in a Time of Crisis. Pifer lives in Madison, Wisconsin.