Effects of the war on Government
The Cold War affected the United States government negatively on many of the ideals. Paranoia of communism often drove government figures to make drastic, and sometimes illogical, reforms and actions.
McCarthyism
Sen. Joseph McCarthy
The fear of communism lead to many persecutions and distrusts, one of the most well-known of which is McCarthyism. McCarthyism was a series of trials against US citizens and government officials who were accused of being pro-communist by the people and the government. This movement started with the formation of the Un-American activities committee in 1938, intended to prevent communism from raising its head in America. Senator Joseph McCarthy was the leader of the anti-communist movement, accusing many people of communist views and putting them on Supreme Court trial. These movements were extremely dangerous for entertainers, writers, and journalists, many of whom would never fully recover from the well-publicized trials. These trials would often be enough to ruin someone's career. During the height of the movement, in the late 1940s, few people were willing to stand up against McCarthy and his large group of supporters. However, the few journalists and entertainers who did stand up are often given credit for McCarthy's eventual removal from power in the mid-1950s.
Go to the following link to watch a video on McCarthyism:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh18dZk8QAY
Go to the following link to watch a video on McCarthyism:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh18dZk8QAY
Nuclear Arms Race
Tsar Bomba, the biggest nuclear bomb
ever made, detonating
Among the most infamous event of the Cold War was the nuclear arms race. Although the official race did not officially start until Russia began producing weapons, tensions began as soon as the United States developed the first nuclear weapons and used them against Japan in World War II. In 1953, the Soviet Union produced their first atomic weapons, and the two powers went back and forth producing bigger and better bombs and missiles thousands of times more powerful than that which was dropped on Hiroshima. The United States focused on producing high-quality weapons and delivery methods, while Russia's lack of funding forced them to only develop many weapons that were slightly less advanced. By 1961, enough missiles had been produced to destroy the planet. Both sides also developed submarines and underground missile silos capable of great destruction. In the 1960s, the US assumed the policy of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD). This policy meant that if the Soviets launched missiles at the US, the US would launch them back, assuring there to be no winner of the war. Eventually both sides grew so fearful of the other that they dared not touch their own weapons for fear of retaliation by the opposing faction.
Speech by US Vice Admiral Hyman Rickover on the Arms race (March 21, 1960):
http://www.history.com/speeches/cold-war-arms-race#cold-war-arms-race
Speech by US Vice Admiral Hyman Rickover on the Arms race (March 21, 1960):
http://www.history.com/speeches/cold-war-arms-race#cold-war-arms-race
Foreign Policy
Ronald Reagan
Prior to World War II and the Cold War, the United States usually kept itself out of foreign affairs to some degree. However, in the years after World War II, the US was in the process of trying to ally with many smaller nations to pit against the Soviet Union and their satellites. The two powers never actually met on the battlefield, instead using spies and subterfuge to figure out each others' secrets and classified information. For fear of nuclear war if the Unites States was to openly attack communist regimes, they instead resorted to a policy known as containment. Containment was opposing to communism, but resorted only to use of threats and minor weapons to stop the spread. The cold war and its policies were unlike any other war in history, using mostly propaganda and threats instead of actual fighting to resolve conflicts. Although the two superpowers never met head to head, many of their satellites and proxy nations fought minor wars, including Vietnam and Korea. Under President Reagan in the 1980s, the Soviet Union began to dissolve and eventually broke up in 1991.
Speech by Reagan on foreign policy against the Soviet Union:
http://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/feb-1985-reagan-doctrine-12814196
Speech by Reagan on foreign policy against the Soviet Union:
http://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/feb-1985-reagan-doctrine-12814196