World War II in Georgia

World War II in Georgia

The titles to be targeted as part of this theme will include newspapers published in areas of Georgia significant to the war effort, published between 1938 and 1950. Papers that may be selected include titles published in cities near military installations and training facilities, including papers from Columbus, Athens, Atlanta, Milledgeville, and Vidalia. Titles from cities that significantly contributed to war manufacturing in Brunswick and Marietta, will also be included on the list. Finally, papers printed directly for or by the military, including papers from Ft. Benning and Atlanta, will also be available for selection as part of this theme.


Georgia played an important role in the United States’ participation in World War II. Over 300,000 Georgians served in the Armed Forces during the war, and countless more contributed to the effort from home. Georgia hosted military posts across the state, many located near larger cities, including Fort Benning near Columbus, Camp Gordon outside Augusta, and Robins Field near Macon. African Americans served at these installations, although usually in segregated conditions. Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville also served as a training center for the women’s branch of the United States Naval Reserve (WAVES) where over 15,000 women were trained from 1943 through the end of the war.


Additionally, the war invigorated an economy in Georgia that had struggled for decades. This revitalization was due in part to an accelerated manufacturing industry that quickly burgeoned to meet the demands of the conflict. In Marietta, the Bell Aircraft plant produced B-29 bombers, while workers built ships in Savannah and Brunswick and guns in Macon and Milledgeville. The economy notably benefited women, who were employed at unprecedented numbers in the early 1940s. Manufacturers also hired African Americans at a prodigious rate and at higher pay rates, but the workers continued to face segregation and discrimination throughout the war. Despite these inequities, the participation of women and African Americans in the war effort helped empower many and ultimately inspired demands for equality in the decades that followed.

New Georgia Encyclopedia Resources

Other Resources

Applicable Education Standards

  • Causes of World War II (SS5H4)

  • Leaders of World War II (SS5H4)

  • Major Events World War II (SS5H4)

  • Key events leading to WWII (SS8H9)

  • Impact of bases and industry related to WWII (SS8H9)

Online Exhibit Possibilities

  • WWII Industries in Georgia

  • WWII Homefront in Georgia

Potential Titles