After World War Two the U.S. and Soviet Union had a long-lasting rivalry since the Soviets were communists and the U.S. was not. This period is known as the Cold War because it was a major conflict where the U.S. and Soviet Union fought indirectly. The Cold War impacted the U.S. domestic policy and American society because it created American fear of communism. This fear later led to losing rights and the government switching where their money was being spent in certain areas such as general education.
The Cold War was a war full of politics and beliefs along with brutal fighting. Communism was seen as a major threat to the United States. The Soviet Union was trying to, at the time, influence other countries of its communist beliefs in hopes of gaining allies and resources. The Soviets expanded after WWII and the Americans feared this, adding tense to their “alliance.” The Soviet Union’s main targets were Europe but also to gain global exposure and power as well.
Effects of Cold War on United States domestic policy and society As World War II got closer to an end, the U.S. and the Soviet Union gained great power, and the competition with these two countries increased in many fields like the development of nuclear technology. However, at the same time, relationships between these two countries deteriorated especially due to the conflict of the ideology which is defined as the Cold War started in 1947 and ended 1991. Both domestic policy and society in the U.S. were greatly affected by the Cold War. However, the effect on American society was mostly negative as the conflicts of citizens due to fear of Communism and effect on normal life show.
The Cold War was an intense period with massive global outcomes due to a fierce rivalry between the two superpowers of the world. This war was a clash between communism and capitalism between the US and USSR. Both had the urge for power, an urge for domination over territories, and resources across the globe. The war ultimately ended in an uneven world system and a series of proxy wars. However, in this war, the US and USSR did not ever directly fight each other.
The Cold War defined the mindset of the United States citizens at the time. Giving them a perspective towards the communist regime and its people. Concerns by the American society also shaped the view towards communism, as well as new ideas spreading out in the United States communities. A series of proxy wars, nonconformity, unrest, and ideologies is what triggered the hatred of both superpowers during this period of time. Indeed, this period of history even shapes some of the ideas of people nowadays.
The Cold War lasted decades and tensions continued to heightened. Trepidation spread among American citizens about the future of their country and world. Would communism take over or would the United States stand their ground and push for democracy? Following the Second World War, the Cold War caused the American people to fear the growth Communism, an economic depression, and a possible nuclear war, yet the Eisenhower Administration successfully addressed these concerns and implemented ways to reduce these fears. First and foremost, the American people feared that communism would spread and take over governments in other nations beyond the Kremlin.
The Cold War refers to the hostile political relations between the Soviet bloc countries, and the US-led Western powers from 1945-1991, resulting from ideological and political differences (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/cold-war). It is considered one of the most important events of the 20th century, and its effect can still be seen in contemporary world affairs. The Cold War was characterized by the omnipresent feeling of distrust, suspicion and fear. In the United States, this culture of fear was often called the Red Scare, or the era of McCarthyism. It was most prominent during the early fifties, but started to die down when Senator McCarthy was discredited and relations between the US and USSR thawed.
The Cold War had a huge impact on America’s foreign policy, this in turn changed how America was able to shape their relationship with other nations, as well as influencing military and economic strategies. The effects that The Cold War had on American foreign policy can be seen in The Truman Doctrine. In The Truman Doctrine, President Truman states, "I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures”. Truman is expressing his belief that it is the responsibility of the United States to provide assistance and support to any country or group that is facing threats to its freedom and independence, whether from internal or external forces. The Cold War also had an effect on domestic politics in American society.
A great example by the African Americans demanding equality in the United States. Goodwin gave a couple examples throughout childhood of the effects of the Cold War. The air-raid drills that children endured while in school and McCarthyism. The Cold War was a mere power struggle between the United States demanding democracy and capitalism; and the Soviet Union demanding communism and autocracy; which had spawned fear upon the American people.
The Cold War was a time in history when there was a great political and military turmoil between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Cold War shaped the world in these three ways, women’s rights, society,Cultural. These three changed people in positive and negative ways. Once again, women were called upon to fulfill a role in the defense of America on one hand to perpetuate the American population and on the other to promote American ideals abroad. Women had a chance to be equal to men.
Though the cold war brought about McCarthyism and unnecessary fear to the American people, I believe the cold war affected American society in a more positive than negative way. During the cold war, Brown vs. the Board of Education took place which lead to the desegregation of all public schools ,this also lead to the undoing of the separate but equal doctrine. Ten years later in 1964 President LBJ signed the civil rights act. This leads me to believe, unlike wars prior where the United States went to war and came home to a nation that was “working toward civil rights for all its citizens”, the cold war cataclysmic in shaping why civil rights for all American citizens weren’t only crucial but a necessity for America to be America-the poster boy(girl) for democracy. The cold war was mainly a battle between American democracy and Soviet communism.
Without the occurrence of the war, and the many jobs that were created the economy wouldn't have been what it ended up being in the 1940’s and 50’s. The shift from women being more prominent in the work force has had a lasting affect and impact on the world today and is what led to things like women rights and equality. The Cold War impacted culture, entertainment and athletics. It had a vital role in the development of science and technology in the United States.
The Cold War had a major impact on America’s Domestic Affairs, Foreign Policies and Military Strategies. America helped and became involved in the affairs of other countries. The U.S.’s military advanced more than ever trying to prepare for a war that was thought to be inevitable. America’s stance on foreign policies was forever changed during the Cold War. The U.S. was more involved in the problems of other countries more than ever.
America had free elections, a democratic country, and richest world power. America had freedom of media and was capitalist with the ideal of “Survival of the fittest”, while the Soviet Union was in the opposite situation. There were no elections, it was autocratic and was ruled by a dictator, had a poor economic base, there was total censorship, and it was a communist country with the ideal of “Everybody helps everybody” (History Learning Site). The main events and personalities of the Cold War were: the Iron Curtain, the Truman Doctrine, NATO, the Korean War, the Warsaw Pact, Sputnik, the Soviet Army, the Hungarian uprising and secret police, the Suez Canal War, the Berlin Wall, The Cuban Missile Crisis, Fidel Castro, The Nuclear Arms Race and Nuclear Winter, the B52 Bomb, the Russian Invasion of Afghanistan, and Project Azorian (History Learning Site).
The Cold War lasted forty-four years and left a lasting social impact on the United States. The spread of communism and The Soviet Union left many Americans in a constant state of fear and paranoia. The space race between the United States and The Soviet Union significantly impacted the education system in the United States and the curriculum that was taught for years to come. The social emphasis on gender caused a crisis on American masculinity and feminism by influencing many to assume certain gender roles and feel that they were not masculine enough or too feminine because of their view on communism. The Cold War socially impacted the United States through fear, education, and gender.
