Effects of Cold War on Americans

The Cold War was considered an ideological arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. This "ideological arms race" had a major impact on the social and cultural way of life for many Americans. The strengthening of the military and the containment of communism were a priority. Ideology and patriotism were questioned at every turn creating an atmosphere of fear. Even recreational activities like film watching were affected. America also witnessed an industrial revolution and benefitted from a prolonged era of economic prosperity. Both the United States and the Soviet Union believed that they were pursuing their right, as well as their comrade's or ally's right, to a better way of life, and each promoted their own conflicting arrangement of social values.

The ground work for the Cold War was laid when former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a speech in Fulton, Missouri on March 5, 1946 where he proclaimed, "An iron curtain has descended across the Continent." Churchill had witnessed the Soviet Union's determination to "establish a sphere of influence in eastern Europe" (Foner, "Give Me Liberty" 711). The following year a highly influential essay on the Soviet Union, penned by a State Department analyst named George F. Kennan; argued that the Soviets had desires of global domination. Thus striking fear in the hearts and minds of many Americans. Kennan advised a "containment" strategy to keep communism in check. President Truman incorporated this containment strategy into his own Truman Doctrine when he addressed a special session of congress on March 12, 1947. Truman announced to congress and his adversaries across the globe, that the United States would support foreign governments resisting "attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures" (qtd. in Foner, "Voices of Freedom" 215). Truman’s adoption of the containment strategy and his insistence of the Communist threat shaped American foreign policy for the years to come.

General Douglas MacArthur once said, “Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear. . . Always there has been some terrible evil at home or some monstrous foreign power that was going to gobble us up . . .Yet . . . these disasters seem never to have happened, seem never to have been quite real" (33). This "fear" that MacArthur alluded to instituted itself with the anticommunist movement. This movement became embedded into all aspects of society. A loyalty review system, implemented by Truman, required government employees to demonstrate their patriotism. In clear violation of their civil liberties they were denied the right to face their accusers. On the local level, states created their own committees to investigate and wean out suspected communists. The spy trials and McCarthyism dominated the presses. Even Hollywood studios were encouraged