Lesson 5 - How did the Cold War develop in the 1950s? (Part 2)
As we saw last lesson, I have identified four themes to characterise the Cold War in the 1950s. Yesterday we looked at the Globalisation of the Cold War and the bell shaped graph line that can be used to plot the changing relationships between the superpowers. Today we'll look at the second two characteristics, the arms and space race and the impact that American insecurity had on domestic life in the USA.
The arms and space race (Walsh 343-346)
The 1950s was characterised by a nuclear arms race, the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) and a race to conquer space. Initially the superpowers on producing increasingly powerful weapons but later the focus shifted to delivery systems (missiles).
The USA stayed ahead with explosive power but fell behind with missile technology. The USSR launched the first man made satellite (Sputnik 1957) and put the first man in space (Yuri Gagarin 1961.)
The arms and space race (Walsh 343-346)
The 1950s was characterised by a nuclear arms race, the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) and a race to conquer space. Initially the superpowers on producing increasingly powerful weapons but later the focus shifted to delivery systems (missiles).
The USA stayed ahead with explosive power but fell behind with missile technology. The USSR launched the first man made satellite (Sputnik 1957) and put the first man in space (Yuri Gagarin 1961.)
|
|
Insecurity, McCarthyism and popular culture.
Setbacks for containment in China and Korea led to the development of Eisenhower’s Domino Theory. There was fear that Communism could spread like a virus or like toppling dominoes. The actions of Senator McCarthy and HUAC created a climate of red scare (again cf.1920s). Fear of nuclear war became an everyday concern, made all the worse by Soviet leadership of the space race. Popular culture, and in particular cinema and television reflected these themes.
McCarthyism
McCarthyism was a campaign against Communists led by Senator Joe McCarthy between 1950 and 1954. Without offering proof, McCarthy accused hundreds of people, ranging from scientists to entertainers, of secretly working for the USSR. For a time McCarthy’s ‘witch-hunt’ was supported by the press and public opinion. No politician could afford to criticise him. During the campaign, over two thousand people were summoned to appear before the Senate’s House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). About 400 were tried and sent to jail. The ‘witch-hunt’ came to include those with liberal or left-wing opinions which were branded ‘un-American’. In 1953 McCarthy became chairman of the Senate’s Permanent Committee of Investigation. Televised hearings exposed him as a bully and a liar. In 1954 McCarthy’s methods were condemned by the Senate. He was forced out of public life.
Setbacks for containment in China and Korea led to the development of Eisenhower’s Domino Theory. There was fear that Communism could spread like a virus or like toppling dominoes. The actions of Senator McCarthy and HUAC created a climate of red scare (again cf.1920s). Fear of nuclear war became an everyday concern, made all the worse by Soviet leadership of the space race. Popular culture, and in particular cinema and television reflected these themes.
McCarthyism
McCarthyism was a campaign against Communists led by Senator Joe McCarthy between 1950 and 1954. Without offering proof, McCarthy accused hundreds of people, ranging from scientists to entertainers, of secretly working for the USSR. For a time McCarthy’s ‘witch-hunt’ was supported by the press and public opinion. No politician could afford to criticise him. During the campaign, over two thousand people were summoned to appear before the Senate’s House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). About 400 were tried and sent to jail. The ‘witch-hunt’ came to include those with liberal or left-wing opinions which were branded ‘un-American’. In 1953 McCarthy became chairman of the Senate’s Permanent Committee of Investigation. Televised hearings exposed him as a bully and a liar. In 1954 McCarthy’s methods were condemned by the Senate. He was forced out of public life.
|
|
|
Activities
1. Again make sure you have watched the three Cold War extracts in this lesson. Make notes and add them to those you made yesterday.
2. Explain how the arms and space race developed in the 1950s. It is important that you identify key moments from the 1950s and learn them.
3. Explain the main features of McCarthyism and anti-communist propaganda and how this might have damaged the reputation of the USA in the 1950s.
1. Again make sure you have watched the three Cold War extracts in this lesson. Make notes and add them to those you made yesterday.
2. Explain how the arms and space race developed in the 1950s. It is important that you identify key moments from the 1950s and learn them.
3. Explain the main features of McCarthyism and anti-communist propaganda and how this might have damaged the reputation of the USA in the 1950s.
|
Extras
John Green has made at least three separate films about the Cold War. This one focuses on the American perspective. |
|