On the Cold War and Society
Created | Updated Feb 24, 2004
Upon looking at American society during the time period of the late twenties to mid forties, it is evident that a change had occurred in the way the society regarded life in general and the many related processes and ideas. There were many people who believed in a life filled with fun and living life for life, and no more. The invention of new dances, styles of dress created because they were fun, social conduct, were all things prevalent in this era.
After the second World War, America, and the world, was changed. This change however, did not destroy the care-free nature the youth of society had adopted. On the contrary, the soldiers back from the war realized that life was there for the living, and some also believed they deserved it.
Russia’s alliance with the US soon began to crumble, however, and the second communist scare began. After a short series of events, the United States and Russia were locked in a cold war, and America was changed forever.
The Cold War prompted a sense of fear in the American. Fed by the United States Government and the media, which could easily be linked together, the American people began to wonder. They wondered just how many communists there were living in the US. They wondered if these communists could destroy America from within. They wondered if the Russians would fire missiles at us, or we at them.
The years ahead would be rough. The fear and tension all American citizens held was holding strong and the events as a result of this fear would not do well to dispel it.
In the early fifties, the United States went to the aid of the southern half of Korea. North Korea was a communist nation, and, being the noble people the US are, an official “police action” began. More commonly referred to as the Korean War, the United States sought victory for the democratic South Koreans. This victory was achieved and the gallant “police” heroes trooped on home, having struck a blow against communism.
Russia was still the real threat and enemy, though. This enmity showed itself again in the sixties’ “race to space.” President John F. Kennedy organized NASA, the nation’s newest weapon against communism. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s job was to make it into space first. Depending on the accepted definition of the term “make it to space,” both Russia and the US could have won the award.
Russia’s first successful space operation launched the satellite “Sputnik” into orbit, creating a huge security risk for the US. First, the Russians now had the potential means to spy on the US without them knowing where or when. Second, it was theorized that with more equipment like Sputnik, Russia could potentially launch into space-to-earth warfare. For these reasons, the US sped up their own space program.
The United States, seeing Russia’s Sputnik in orbit, pushed their program to the point where the first man was rocketed into space. Now having reset the equilibrium, the US sought to push the tables the other way and show the communists some fear themselves.
This particular period of the beginnings of space exploration brought on a wild massacring of the facts and realities surrounding space and Russia. One evidence of this can be found by looking at the James Bond films of this time. In one film, the British agent must figure out how to stop the Russians from firing a laser at various targets on the continental United States from space.
Things such as films, radio presentations, books, and newspaper articles pushed the American citizens into wondering just what Russia was capable of, militarily.
History continued into the next years when the United States, under President Lyndon B. Johnson, decided to aid the South Vietnamese in their war against the oppressive and communist North Vietnamese government. Thousands upon thousands of men and women in the army were sent overseas as well as fresh recruits and draftees. These young people soon saw firsthand just what a communist could do.
By this time, the anti-communist prejudices were running stronger than ever, and the American people just couldn’t get enough of hating “commies.” The eighties brought more stalemate and more anti-communist media, including another James Bond film titled “Goldeneye,” in which our hero needed to stop yet another Russian satellite from destroying America and Britain.
When the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics finally crumbled and became separate countries in the late eighties, communism no longer seemed such a threat. This is when we must examine just what part the Cold War played in the formation of today’s American society. The Cold War took nearly 40 years to be resolved, and left a lasting, if not easily visible print on America.
Returning to the opening paragraph concerning the care-freeness of the twenties through forties, we can see that during the Cold War, this seemed to disappear. The mind set of the Cold War American was not to go out in public all the time because there were communists everywhere and missiles could be flying at any moment. Over the 40 years, anomalies sprang up; groups of people who wanted to go out and be together. These groups didn’t stay though, and were replaced by yet more household Americans.
Today, the exciting life of a twenties, thirties, or forties young person is all but gone. Staying at home has become part of the American dream. The time spent fearing communists at home stuck with the citizens and became part of the society.
The reason for staying at home is not a still-active fear that communists lurk around the corner. Instead, it’s the sub-conscious memory that communists lurked around the corner that compelled the brain to make it habit not to be too social. One could argue that it’s a sub-conscious fear that still exists, or that the space for a fear of communists is no longer filled, so something new fills the position of the old fear with a new fear.
Many things today are indirect results of the Cold War. The volume of news-watchers for instance, could increase since before the Cold War, as there were so many things going on in the world that a citizen would need to watch news to keep up on the times. Another example would be the enlargement of the American television: If Americans are to stay cooped up inside their homes, they’ll need to occupy themselves. They may take to watching more TV than normal, and realize that a larger set would be better.
The connections that can be drawn from the Cold War to the present are endless, as it completely changed the American way of life. Perhaps the United States will come back to its care-free days. But until then, an antisocial world superpower they shall be.
After the second World War, America, and the world, was changed. This change however, did not destroy the care-free nature the youth of society had adopted. On the contrary, the soldiers back from the war realized that life was there for the living, and some also believed they deserved it.
Russia’s alliance with the US soon began to crumble, however, and the second communist scare began. After a short series of events, the United States and Russia were locked in a cold war, and America was changed forever.
The Cold War prompted a sense of fear in the American. Fed by the United States Government and the media, which could easily be linked together, the American people began to wonder. They wondered just how many communists there were living in the US. They wondered if these communists could destroy America from within. They wondered if the Russians would fire missiles at us, or we at them.
The years ahead would be rough. The fear and tension all American citizens held was holding strong and the events as a result of this fear would not do well to dispel it.
In the early fifties, the United States went to the aid of the southern half of Korea. North Korea was a communist nation, and, being the noble people the US are, an official “police action” began. More commonly referred to as the Korean War, the United States sought victory for the democratic South Koreans. This victory was achieved and the gallant “police” heroes trooped on home, having struck a blow against communism.
Russia was still the real threat and enemy, though. This enmity showed itself again in the sixties’ “race to space.” President John F. Kennedy organized NASA, the nation’s newest weapon against communism. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s job was to make it into space first. Depending on the accepted definition of the term “make it to space,” both Russia and the US could have won the award.
Russia’s first successful space operation launched the satellite “Sputnik” into orbit, creating a huge security risk for the US. First, the Russians now had the potential means to spy on the US without them knowing where or when. Second, it was theorized that with more equipment like Sputnik, Russia could potentially launch into space-to-earth warfare. For these reasons, the US sped up their own space program.
The United States, seeing Russia’s Sputnik in orbit, pushed their program to the point where the first man was rocketed into space. Now having reset the equilibrium, the US sought to push the tables the other way and show the communists some fear themselves.
This particular period of the beginnings of space exploration brought on a wild massacring of the facts and realities surrounding space and Russia. One evidence of this can be found by looking at the James Bond films of this time. In one film, the British agent must figure out how to stop the Russians from firing a laser at various targets on the continental United States from space.
Things such as films, radio presentations, books, and newspaper articles pushed the American citizens into wondering just what Russia was capable of, militarily.
History continued into the next years when the United States, under President Lyndon B. Johnson, decided to aid the South Vietnamese in their war against the oppressive and communist North Vietnamese government. Thousands upon thousands of men and women in the army were sent overseas as well as fresh recruits and draftees. These young people soon saw firsthand just what a communist could do.
By this time, the anti-communist prejudices were running stronger than ever, and the American people just couldn’t get enough of hating “commies.” The eighties brought more stalemate and more anti-communist media, including another James Bond film titled “Goldeneye,” in which our hero needed to stop yet another Russian satellite from destroying America and Britain.
When the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics finally crumbled and became separate countries in the late eighties, communism no longer seemed such a threat. This is when we must examine just what part the Cold War played in the formation of today’s American society. The Cold War took nearly 40 years to be resolved, and left a lasting, if not easily visible print on America.
Returning to the opening paragraph concerning the care-freeness of the twenties through forties, we can see that during the Cold War, this seemed to disappear. The mind set of the Cold War American was not to go out in public all the time because there were communists everywhere and missiles could be flying at any moment. Over the 40 years, anomalies sprang up; groups of people who wanted to go out and be together. These groups didn’t stay though, and were replaced by yet more household Americans.
Today, the exciting life of a twenties, thirties, or forties young person is all but gone. Staying at home has become part of the American dream. The time spent fearing communists at home stuck with the citizens and became part of the society.
The reason for staying at home is not a still-active fear that communists lurk around the corner. Instead, it’s the sub-conscious memory that communists lurked around the corner that compelled the brain to make it habit not to be too social. One could argue that it’s a sub-conscious fear that still exists, or that the space for a fear of communists is no longer filled, so something new fills the position of the old fear with a new fear.
Many things today are indirect results of the Cold War. The volume of news-watchers for instance, could increase since before the Cold War, as there were so many things going on in the world that a citizen would need to watch news to keep up on the times. Another example would be the enlargement of the American television: If Americans are to stay cooped up inside their homes, they’ll need to occupy themselves. They may take to watching more TV than normal, and realize that a larger set would be better.
The connections that can be drawn from the Cold War to the present are endless, as it completely changed the American way of life. Perhaps the United States will come back to its care-free days. But until then, an antisocial world superpower they shall be.
