Effect On American Society During The Cold War - 1183 Words

The Effect on American Society During the Cold War The Cold War propelled the United States of America into a seat of previously unattained power in the world . American citizens spearheaded the push toward advancement in their search for the epitome of happiness: the â€Å"American Dream†. Post-war paranoia was driven by the supposed threat of the spread of communism, which Americans feared could interfere with the freedoms and liberties the founding fathers fought to achieve. This paranoia eventually controlled the thoughts and actions of citizens everywhere. The Second Red Scare spread across America like a virus, leaving a trail of dread and despair in its wake. The fear of the growing communist regime, a lack of trust between citizens and the government, and a zealous streak of American pride drove the U.S. toward internal conflict and potential devastation. Of the factors which shaped American society in the Cold War era, the fear of communism and its potential to spread imposed the greatest effect upon the United States. From the worldwide devastation of World War II arose two powers: United States of America, fueled by a capitalist economy, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or USSR, whose economy embodied the communist ideals of Karl Marx. Marx himself stated, â€Å"Communism is already acknowledged by all...powers to be in itself a power†. Marx predicted the power of a communistic society well before the first World War began. In the wake of the devastationShow MoreRelatedThe Cold War and Its Effect on The History of America Essay1706 Words   |  7 Pages The Cold War was the ideological conflict between the two superpowers of the world, the democratic United States of America and the communist Soviet Union. For over fifty years the two superpowers fought each other indirectly for power and control of the world. The Cold War started after the end of the Second World War in 1945 when the eyes of both superpowers were no longer looking at Nazi Germany, but instead at each other and the fate of the rest of the world. The Cold War began after the SecondRead MoreRichard Byrd s The Cold War1340 Words   |  6 PagesThe Cold War, spanning almost half a century, was a conflict that accelerated the production of nuclear weapons and forced the United States and the other belligerent, the Soviet Union, to make scientific advances at a rate unseen in any other time in human history. The Cold War Comes to Main Street: America in 1950, written by Lisle A. Rose, thoroughly examines the year 1950 in the United States and the effect that the Cold War had on the American populous. Rose examines communism and the militaryRead MoreThe Cold War On American Culture Essay1489 Words   |  6 PagesThe Cold War was a pivotal time in American history. 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Aside from the actual politics of the Cold War, Joseph Masco, professor of anthropology at the University of Chicago, argues in his novel, The TheaterRead MoreJohn Miller s Death Of A Salesman Essay1521 Words   |  7 Pagesthe highway system improved American infrastructure, and American influence all around the world was rising. Yet to the individual citizen or family, the realities of an increasingly materialistic society brought new questions that often had disillusioning answers. Works such as the film â€Å"Rebel Without a Cause† and Arthur Mill er’s â€Å"Death of a Salesman† provide commentary on the social problems that formed in the changing American society. One can see that the effects of the consumer focused natureRead MoreTaking a Look at the Cold War1237 Words   |  5 Pagescovering is the Cold War and question number six. The Roosevelt Administration was determined to avoid a retreat like the one that followed WWI. The United States itself had sole possession of the atomic bomb. The United States goal was to expand democracy. America saw that there needed to be global economic reconstruction. The Soviets looked to model the rest of the world after their own values and origins. It indeed had to do with Soviet Expansion. The Russians didn’t want to go to war with the UnitedRead MoreThe Time Period Of The Cold War1387 Words   |  6 PagesThe time period of the Cold War was a breeding ground for ideological change. It was an era filled with fear and paranoia, not simply of the unknown, but o f neighbours, friends, and family. World War II, the atomic bomb, the Cold War, made it hard for Americans to continue their optimism historian Stephen Ambrose commented. This paradigm shift is evident in the texts from the era, and by studying them we come to understand the values and atmosphere of the time and the effect those values had on the