Donald Duck and Bugs Bunny Fight Fascism

World War II was a total war—not just because the combatants attacked both military and civilian targets, but because it was seen as a battle for the very survival of the nations involved. In America, this meant that almost everyone on the home front was involved in the war effort. Millions of women took up factory work to replace the men who were fighting overseas. Gasoline, cars, sugar, rubber, dairy products, and coffee were all rationed. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) encouraged families to plant Victory Gardens in their backyards to supplement food supplies. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler went from making cars to churning out tanks, planes, ships, and submarines to supply both the US and its allies. The animation industry was also part of the war effort—in fact, it was perhaps the United States’ most potent cultural weapon. What began as an effort to boost morale for civilians on the home front and troops overseas also helped spread American culture around the world.