The+Cold+War+and+Daily+Life+(1945-1991)

__**Introduction:**__
=== The Cold War, or “Proxy War”, was inevitably going to happen and could not be controlled by the spiraling tensions of the United States and The Soviet Union. The Cold War was not a physical fight between two nations, but indirect tensions that were built up from World War II. The United States entered WWII extremely late to help the Soviet Union which upset Joseph Stalin; the Soviet leader. Tensions grew between these two countries and were the roots of the Cold War. Communism is the revo lutionary socialist movement to create a social order where the state controls all aspects of society. The Soviet Union was based from this movement that the United States did not agree with. President Harry Truman came up with the policy of containment which declared that communism would not influence the United States and any tactics necessary to prevent the spread of communism. === = =



__ **Overview:** __ === Containment was not the only strategy used by the United States. The atomic bomb developed by the U.S during WWII had a great influence on Truman. An “arms race” began during the Cold War where the U.S talked about developing another atomic bomb. When Stalin caught wind of this idea, he began to develop an atomic bomb for the Soviet Union. The United States finally decided that they would need a more powerful bomb to be better than Stalin thus creating the hydrogen bomb, or H-bomb. Nuclear annihilation of these bombs being tested in the oceans sent a scare throughout America. Bomb shelters were developed to protect American lives from inhalation of radioactive substances. A bomb shelter was an underground sanctuary that protected Americans from nuclear weapons that threatened their lives. The Cold War became a part of everyday life for Americans and defense spending increased greatly. Over 4,000 people died from being exposed to nuclear material or just from the testing of the bombs by the United States and Soviet Union. The radioactive material given off by the bombs infected Americans and spread alarm throughout the nation. More than 70,000 nuclear bombs were made in the United States in order to gear up for a Soviet attack. === === In addition, this display of the incredible power of the R-7 missile frightened most Americans. The R-7 missile was capable of distributing a “nuclear warhead” near the United States and made finding information about the Soviets military essential. The Cold War was brought home in several different ways. The HUAC or House of Un-American Activities Committee forced several workers in the movie industry to testify against each other in political beliefs which caused many people to lose their jobs. Anti-communism hysteria spread rapidly throughout the United States and caused heavy investigations on the State government and federal employees. Arrests, prosecutions, and unemployment spread feverishly with false information about the employees. “Loyalty oaths” were common for all Americans looking for a job in the state or federal government. They had to pledge their allegiance to the United States and promise to support the government by every means necessary and anything else is unconstitutional. The Loyalty Review Board was issued by President Truman who declared who would run the loyalty oaths. Communism was the principal fear of all Americans and affected the daily life of people greatly. ===

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=== The Cold War forced many Americans to alter their everyday life between jobs, income, and money. Soviet policy by Joseph Stalin caused Americans to panic at home. Civil and social reforms were beginning to be a part of everyday life for the Americans. Better working conditions, women workers, and labor unions were often disregarded which affected the income and health of American people. Although Truman and Eisenhower wanted to steer away from economic reforms, many veterans benefited from receiving loans for a full education and new home benefits. "Treason, espionage and sabotage" were the three major factors that contributed to the lives of Americans. === === Movie industries, literature, and foreign policy were also affected by communism and the Cold War. Movie directors were accused of promoting communism and some of their productions and actors and actresses were prosecuted because of these accusations. Literature transformed into the “individual” influencing many people’s opinions about their social and daily life. === === The reflection of the Cold War on Americans became evident in “painting, sculpture, architecture, graphic design, furniture and toys”. Many people were expressing their feelings of the Cold War through art and personal feelings on the matter. Several artists from this time have had an impact on today’s design of painting and drawing. The depictions of the Cold War seemed to be simple but deeply rooted feelings never left the page when looking at the paintings. === === Music and poetry were also ways Americans expressed their feelings toward the Cold War. Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” was one of the biggest hits of the Cold War era. Many people listened to rock n’ roll as a way to escape from the communist feelings spread throughout America. Poets wrote about the fear of communism spreading and when they published their work, they worried many civilians. ===

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=== The spy cases that took place in 1948 took its toll on the daily lives of Americans. Alger Hiss was accused of spying on the United States for the Soviet Union. Whittaker Chambers was the accuser and had government documents that he copied claiming that Hiss wrote them from his typewriter. Hiss was later sent to prison for the charges held against him which sent alarm throughout America. In 1950 a similar case arose with the Rosenberg’s. Klaus Fuchs, a German man, confessed to giving the Soviet Union information about the American atomic bomb. The Rosenberg’s became involved when accused of being Communists and having to do with the leak about the atomic bomb. Later they were charged with espionage and executed. America was never more shocked about the case of the Rosenberg’s and was further outraged at the Cold War affecting the lives of civilians. === === McCarthyism came about in the early 1950s. During this time Senator Joseph McCarthy accused several people of being Communists. His suspicion spread to people working for the government and to workers in the State Department. Though he never gave evidence of these accusations with real names, no one, including Republicans, said anything to try and stop him. Republicans believed they would win the upcoming presidential election with the help of McCarthy getting rid of suspected Communists. Americans seemed to be more concerned with the fact that McCarthy was accusing everyday people of being Communists. American civilians were being suspected of Communism which affected the jobs of many people and caused unemployment rates to increase. Americans became outraged at the fact that McCarthy was causing them their jobs, money, and only chance of receiving income for their families. Finally, McCarthy took it a step too far and began accusing the U.S Army of Communism which upset the Senate. After investigations, the Senate decided that McCarthy should be convicted of “improper conduct”. Eventually, McCarthyism broke down and he died. Though his accusations did not last long, he still succeeded in sending a fear throughout America yet again of Communism spreading to the United States. In conclusion, the daily lives of millions of Americans was impacted by the Cold War era and created a tension between the Soviet Union and United States that continued to spiral out of control. ===

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**__Significance:__**
=== The significance of the daily life of Americans affected the Cold War in several ways. Anti-communist feelings fueled the drive forAmericato fight theSoviet Unionand their refusal to step down against them. Many people began to think that their differences could never be resolved. With the spy cases erupting, McCarthyism, and anti-communism the Cold War spiraled into something more than just atomic bomb threats and indirect fighting. The Loyalty Review Board had to enforce loyalty oaths on government employees which affected the lives of millions and caused unemployment, lower income rates, and poor education. The president tried to resolve the issues of the civilians but failed to do so with economic and social reforms. The daily life of Americans continued to get worse with the threats of the atomic bombs being tested and made in theSoviet Union. The development of nuclear weapons was also significant during the Cold War era. With this new development it influenced other countries to try and develop nuclear weapons to be used in war. It angered many Americans when communism was said to be spreading to other nations and could be a potential threat to the United States. ===

[[image:cold_war_khru.jpg width="400" height="533" align="left"]]__**Impact:**__
=== The impact of the daily lives of Americans during the Cold War era was the new paintings, literature, music, and pictures that came out of this indirect war. People developed new ways to express their feelings through art and music which still impacts the world today. Rock n’ roll was one of the easiest and biggest ways to express your personal opinions about the Cold War and allowed people to extend their attitudes on music. Today, we still have rock n’ roll music and it all broke through from The Cold War. Another impact was the affect it had on the development of nuclear weapons. Also pointed out as a significant factor, the H-Bomb and A-Bomb were two of the biggest bombs that were developed by the Soviet Union and United States. With these nuclear weapons being completed and tested, it prompted the rest of the world to try creating nuclear weapons thus advancing science and technology during this era. The fear of Communism impacted the lives of several Americans throughout the years of the Cold War which set off tensions that many never overcame. As you can see, the impact and significance of the daily lives of Americans during the Cold War continued to grow and influence the indirect fighting between the United States and Soviet Union. ===



=== Snead, David L. "Cold War." //Dictionary of American History//. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 266-270. //Gale U.S. History In Context//. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. ===

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