User:Winterz./sandbox

Culture and Media[edit]
See also: Culture during the Cold War

In the ensuing years from World War II in the United States, media and culture portrayed a general sense of anxiety and fear of the spread of the Soviet Union's communism in American entertainment, political, social, and scientific sectors. As tensions between the two nations increased over the 1940's, 1950's, and 1960's, public hysteria over communism subverting American daily life was coined the Red Scare, but more specifically the Second red scare with respect to the 1950's. Media coverage of the Cold War served as a catalyst for acknowledging ideological differences between the two nations. Written and illustrative forms of communication were the predominate source of information before the 1960's in the United States; political expressions in American newspaper cartoons, fliers, and movie posters with "easily de-codable [text]" and "emotive images" largely served as a casting mold for solidifying American ideals against its Soviet counterpart. Indeed, both US and USSR medias succeeded in producing rhetoric and imagery that bolstered the motives of their respective states while establishing a sense of jingoism in their people; which is effectively known as propaganda. The polarization of the Cold War era and the dread resulting from a Nuclear arms race between the US and USSR, in addition to a politicized system of media distribution, led to the escalated height of sentiments which included statements like "Better Dead Than Red" in American media and culture. As early as 1947 in the United States entertainment sector, the House Un-American Activities Committee(HUAC) began holding hearings regarding the political orientation of American entertainment professionals, starting with the famous Hollywood Ten trial that resulted in the conviction of 10 Hollywood directors and writers being charged with Contempt of Congress, and eventually leading to the broader entertainment industry blacklist; with the peak of the committee's actions occurring between 1953 to 1956. In the midst of all this included the McCarthy trials. Targets of HUAC's entertainment industry blacklist included directors, actors, screenwriters, musicians, and other prominent entertainment professionals, which were ultimately blacklisted from their careers for having been alleged communist members or having communistic sympathies. Soviet communistic ideals being propagated into American life was used as justification for the tactics employed by the highly publicized HUAC and McCarthy trials. During this period in America, television stations and motion picture corporations were considerably influential on the minds of the public as associations between federal and private corporations became more intimately associated; a deliberate measure to promote positive consensus for military and intelligence efforts against the Soviet Union in a time of war. After the downfall of senator Joseph McCarthy and the Mccarthy trials, which was due to his demagogic style and unsubstantiated accusations, the House Un-American Activities Committee shortly after began its descent into ruin by the mid-late 1950's and early 1960's, and later was officially dismantled in 1975.Just prior to the beginning of the 1960's, Harry S. Truman proclaimed that the committee was the "most un-American thing in the country today". Prior to these events, there had never been such a socially and politically significant issue publicized to the American populace within culture and media regarding domestic threats to United States democracy during the 20th century.

The end of the Korean War[edit]
See also: Korean War

Prior to his election in 1953, Dwight D. Eisenhower was already displeased with the manner that Harry S. Truman had handled the war in Korea. After the United States secured a resolution from the United Nations to engage in military defense on behalf of South Korea, whom had been invaded by North Korea in an attempt to unify all of Korea under the communist North Korean regime, President Truman engaged U.S. land, air, and sea forces; United States involvement in the war quickly reversed the direction of military advancement into South Korea to military advancement into North Korea; to the point that North Korean forces were being forced against the border with China, which led to the involvement of hundreds of thousands of communist Chinese troops heavily assaulting U.S. and South Korean forces. Acting on a campaign pledge made during his United States presidential election campaign, Eisenhower visited Korea on December 2, 1952 to assess to the situation. Eisenhower's investigation consisted of meeting with South Korean troops, commanders, and government officials, after his meetings Eisenhower concluded, "we could not stand forever on a static front and continue to accept casualties without any visible results. Small attacks on small hills would not end this war". Eisenhower urged the South Korean President Syngman Rhee to compromise in order to speed up peace talks. This coupled with the United States' threat of using nuclear weapons if the war did not end soon, lead to the signing of an armistice on July 27, 1953. The armistice concluded the United States initial Cold War concept of "limited war". Prisoners of war were allowed to choose where they would stay, either the area that would become North Korea or the area to become South Korea, and a border was placed between the two territories in addition to an allotted demilitarized zone. The "police action" implemented by the Korean U.N. agreement prevented communism spreading from North Korea to South Korea. United States involvement in the Korean War demonstrated its readiness to the world to rally to the aid of nations under invasion. particularly communistic invasion, and resulted in President Eisenhower's empowered image as an effective leader against tyranny; this ultimately led to a strengthened position of the United States in Europe and guided the development of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The primary effect of these developments for the United States were the military buildup called for in response to Cold War concerns as seen in NSC 68.