The Cold War_ an Era of Fear_ [Essay Example], 2483 words GradesFixer
pdf
keyboard_arrow_up
School
American Public University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
123
Subject
History
Date
Nov 24, 2024
Type
Pages
7
Uploaded by BrigadierNeutron13773
11/29/23, 4:08 PM
The Cold War: an Era of Fear: [Essay Example], 2483 words GradesFixer
https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-cold-war-an-era-of-fear/
1/7
The Cold War: an Era of Fear
Categories: Cold War (https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/cold-war/)
International
Relations (https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/international-relations/)
World History
(https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/world-history/)
Truman had just demonstrated the raw power of the nuclear bomb, in order to end
World War II, in 1945. The cost of war had immediately changed; the world had seen
that whole cites could be obliterated within seconds. This would send a paralyzing
shock through the world. After World War II the world was split between two
economic idealities, Communism and Capitalism. This would drive America and The
Soviet Union into the Cold War. The Cold War was an exceptionally distinct war that
manifested a fear within Americans that was beautifully captured in the literature
and films made by the people that experienced the Cold War.
Many Americans were immensely pleased that their country had risen from the
horrible World War, victorious. They were ready to return to a peaceful that they had
once known. During this time books like Stuart Little and Goodnight Moon had
become exceptionally popular among the American public. These novels were very
children oriented and conservative just like society at the time. They did not have a
shred of war within the pages of these books.
These books captured the mindset of a typical American, wanting to get past the
war and clear their minds of the atrocities that their country had just witnessed.
Though the time they were trying to return to was not the same as the one that they
were in just before the war. Before the war women were gaining many rights and
freedoms they hadn’t had before, but America was returning to a more traditional
time. This meant that women’s rights would be reeled back. America had started to
conform.
About this sample
11/29/23, 4:08 PM
The Cold War: an Era of Fear: [Essay Example], 2483 words GradesFixer
https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-cold-war-an-era-of-fear/
2/7
The American middle class went through a transformation and were conforming to
the guidelines set by movies like It’s A Wonderful Life. This film had the image of a
perfect family, with a beautiful house wife and a hard working man. The American
public would be greatly influenced by the emergence of television. Television allowed
social norms to be broadcasted to the whole nation. Television also strengthened the
importance of a happy family, because a family within this time had only one
television that was centered in the living room, which had not been evolved for the
viewing of television. William Whyte described the working man’s thoughts perfectly
with ‘I love my wife; I love my family; I never let them get in the way of business’ in The
Organization Man. Conformity would become abundantly important once the Cold
War had begun.
The county had been left in the unexperienced hands of President Harry Truman.
Though the Soviet Union had been America’s trusted allies and were highly praised
by the American public throughout World War II, they were still communists. An
ideology that America could not live along side with. “All animals are equal, but some
animals are more equal than others” is a great mock of the communistic ideology
that was written by George Orwell in Animal Farm. The world had been split between
communism and democracy.
Truman established the Containment Doctrine in 1945. This doctrine attempted to
contain and stop the spread of communism through Europe. The border between the
democratic countries and the countries that had been infected by communism
would be known as the Iron Curtain. The Cold War would be a fight between the
world’s two superpowers, which would take place in counties that were between
revolutions. These conflicts would be known as proxy wars.
The Korean War would be the first confrontation that the United States would be
involved in. In the 1950’s democratic South Korea, supported by America, and
communistic North Korea, supported by China and the Soviet Union went to war. The
38th parallel was the border between South and North Korea before the war. The
United States provided 88% of the soldiers sent by the United Nations.
11/29/23, 4:08 PM
The Cold War: an Era of Fear: [Essay Example], 2483 words GradesFixer
https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-cold-war-an-era-of-fear/
3/7
Both armies drove deep into enemy territory but they were both unsuccessful of
winning the war. After three hard years of war neither side was able to reach victory.
The war reached a stalemate in 1953. The 38th parallel would become the border
once again. Many books of the Korean War would be written long after the war.
During this war something had been scaring the American public.
The Red Scare had emerged in the United States of America. Senator Joseph
McCarthy was a huge catalyst for the Red Scare. During the period many people
were being accused of subversion. The communist scare had gripped the country so
tightly that neighbors and family members were turning against each other. The Red
Scare spawned a book called I led 3 lives, Citizen, Communist, Counterspy which
enticed the American public greatly; it then was converted into a 117 episode show.
McCarthyism led to the Hollywood Blacklist, in which screen writers, actors, directors,
musicians and other entertainers were denied employment because of their
respected beliefs. The Executive 9835 was signed in March 1947 by Harry Truman. This
order sparked investigations of government officials. McCarthy and many others
went on a witch hunt looking for anyone who would break the norm and they would
accuse them of being a spy or in support of communism. If McCarthy could have his
way he would have turned America into a totalitarian government. Conformity was
essential in this era , for if you neighbor saw you breaking the norms and thought you
were a communist , you would be reported and probably arrested, this scare led to
many types of literature, specifically espionage literature.
Throughout this time the market was being flooded with espionage literature and
movies. The authors and directors were praying on the fears of the American public.
The execution of the Rosenberg’s made the threat of espionage very real to the
American citizens. The first James Bond novel had been published during this period
of fear. James Bond became so popular because it made the American people
confident that their government had spies in the Soviet Union that were out smarting
the Soviet Union.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
11/29/23, 4:08 PM
The Cold War: an Era of Fear: [Essay Example], 2483 words GradesFixer
https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-cold-war-an-era-of-fear/
4/7
Ian Fleming conquered the espionage market with James Bond. Many of these
espionage novels would have a Soviet spy defect to the American side so that the
American public would feel superior to their Soviet counterparts, The Hunt for Red
October would be a great example of this. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre
made the concept of a double agent very enticing. Our Man in Havana takes a more
comedic approach but it is still one of the most popular espionage books of the time.
These books reinforced America’s superstitions and had citizens trying to find the
communist in their neighborhood.
Espionage was not the only thing the American public had to fear. They all knew that
the United States was at mercy of a nuclear strike at any time. At first the American
public had no idea what a nuclear deterrent was. A nuclear deterrent ensured that if
either side were to fire missiles, the opposing side would immediately fire a set of
their own. This lead to the mutual assured destruction theory that said that stated
that neither side could fire a single missile because they knew that it would mean
that neither side would survive the after math.
It would be an irreversible annihilation of both parties involved. It essentially
prevented a nuclear war between the Soviet Union and The United States of America.
This fear of the bomb was another fear that authors of this time period used to their
advantage.
The bomb threat was becoming an immense fear in the American public, and the
literature and films didn’t help that. Many books portrayed an accidental nuclear
strike that could end both nations if the president couldn’t convince the soviet
premier. A great example of one of these books would have to be Fail-Safe written by
Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. This book made it a point to try and convince
the American public that the bombs were incredibly dangerous and that both
governments should try and dismantle their nuclear stockpiles.
It was an incredibly engrossing novel that had many citizens looking in the sky,
making sure that there weren’t any soviet planes in the sky. The film Dr.Strangelove
took a comedic look at the same situation that Fail-Safe put the American audience
11/29/23, 4:08 PM
The Cold War: an Era of Fear: [Essay Example], 2483 words GradesFixer
https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-cold-war-an-era-of-fear/
5/7
in. “Gentleman you can’t fight here, this is a War Room” has to be one of the funniest
lines in any movie. On the other hand there were books like When the Wind Blows
which takes a totally unique approach to the nuclear war.
It is presented in a comic book style and it supplies loads of dark humor. It follows an
elderly couple that is oblivious of the nuclear strike that has hit Britain. They then
suffer from radiation sickness, a fairly new concept too many people at the time. This
books and films implanted the certainty of annihilation because of these nuclear
bombs. There is one other type of books regarding the Red Scare.
Americans were afraid of the Soviet Union marching in and destroying everything
that was American. These types of books were the most irrational types and were
likely not going to happen unlike the previous types of literature. There hadn’t been
anything that actually happened to spark these types of books and movies, yet they
became very popular because no one wants their country to be invaded. One of the
most popular books would have to be the Manchurian Candidate written by Richard
Condon.
A famous politician becomes brainwashed during his tour in Korea. For periods of
time he is wiped from anything that makes him American and listens to the orders
that were given to him and then forgets it after. A popular film arouse called The
Thing from Another World the movie is about an alien that crashes on Earth and
needs to drain blood from its victims to survive. At first the symbolism can be lost but
if looked at closely the Thing is a representation of the Soviets that are going to
invade America and drain it of itself. The film The Russians are coming the Russians
are coming is a comedy but it is the most obvious in pointing out that American
citizens were very afraid of a Russian invasion.
The most famous of all proxy wars would undoubtedly be the Vietnam War. The
United States of America believed that if one state were to fall to communism than
the rest would be infected with it. The Vietnam War would span from the 1950s to
1982. The war would span through four separate presidents’ terms. The war was
between the democratic south, against the communistic north. At first the French
11/29/23, 4:08 PM
The Cold War: an Era of Fear: [Essay Example], 2483 words GradesFixer
https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-cold-war-an-era-of-fear/
6/7
were in and they were trying to contain the communism but they later pulled out in
1954. The United States supplied money and military advice to the South Vietnamese
Forces. When Lyndon B. Johnson replaced Kennedy he sent US forces in 1965.
America was confident that their Marines would have the firepower to take Vietnam.
The amount of American troops would sky rocket to half a million by 1968. Many of
the casualties weren’t reported so that the US citizens would still back the war. There
had been a truce that both sides mutually agreed on during the month of January,
but in 1968 the Viet Cong broke it and launched the largest attack of the war on
several different cities. Though the American forces came out victorious from the Tet
Offensive it would be a turning point in America’s involvement in Vietnam. Richard
Nixon would come to office soon after. Nixon installed a policy known as
“Vietnamization”. Nixon would fly B-52s loaded with nuclear weapons to the Russian
border as a part of his mad man theory. He would try and make himself look like a
mad man, therefor unpredictable so that other countries would not provoke the
United States. These events would launch a huge amount of Vietnam related
literature.
Vietnam provided so much writing material for authors; some of them actually were
enlisted in Vietnam. The most popular first-hand account of Vietnam would be
Dispatches written by Michael Herr. Many of the popular Cold War authors sung the
praises of this book like John le Carre. Dispatches revealed the experience of a
soldier in Vietnam that many Americans had not had a clue about. Many Vietnam
veterans have come out and said that it is one of the most realistic accounts of
Vietnam. Another popular book written during the Vietnam war would be the The
Quiet American by Graham Greene.
It follows the story of a British journalist that is in love with a Vietnamese woman. This
book is considered an anti-war book. This book discusses the atrocities that some
American troops took a part of, therefor the American public labeled it as un-
American. Most of the books written during this time were documentaries or first-
hand experiences unlike the earlier Cold war literature that sold books with the fear
that certain annihilation in Americans. Most of the books during this period of time
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
11/29/23, 4:08 PM
The Cold War: an Era of Fear: [Essay Example], 2483 words GradesFixer
https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-cold-war-an-era-of-fear/
7/7
were very grim and anti-war because on the homestead the many Americans were
opposed to the Vietnam War. Hippies were defiantly breaking the norms that were
set at the beginning of the Cold War.
There were two types of counter-culture books. One of them had futuristic views of
the world that were bleak and confirmative. These books would give the counter
culture something to try and prevent. George Orwell’s 1984 is a great example of this.
1984 gave a future where the government kept an eye on you at all times. The
government would launch attacks on their own citizens and blame it on a made up
country. The other type of book was one that described it like The Electric Kool-Aid
Test by Tom Wolf. Tom Wolf would go on and describe orgies that women would
have with men. These books described the freedom that these people had. Vietnam
and Counter Culture literature would be the last of the Cold War related literature.
The Cold war was a war unlike any war anyone had ever experienced. Cold War
literature was unlike any literature anyone had ever experienced before. The Cold
War brought many heterogeneous ideas that no author before had because the
ideas weren’t possible before. The fear was unlike any other yet the authors of this
time period were able to capture it within the pages of their books perfectly. The
pages within these books are a time machine into the past. When learning about
history, people aren’t very excited because they know the result but the Cold War is a
whole different time because before everyone knew that win or loss you would still
live, maybe not the same way as before but alive nonetheless, but if even one
warhead were to be launched, the enemy would launch all of theirs, ending both
countries and probably the Earth.