Cold War

4 Pages 912 Words

How did the Cold War with the Soviet Union affect U.S. domestic politics and society in the late 1940s and the 1950s? In your view, who or what was most responsible for this “Second Red Scare,” and what were its most significant consequences? (Use lectures, textbook, and the Reader selections on McCarthyism.)


Several factors in society and changes in domestic policies affected relations with the U.S. and Soviet Union. After WWII, the U.S. and USSR emerged as the top two most powerful countries in the world. The Soviets suffered major losses in agricultural, industrial and human losses. But both countries knew exactly what they wanted and did all they could to get it, which brought conflicts amongst the two countries thus leading to the Cold War.
Effects on Society: On May Day 1950 at Mosinee, Wisconsin, American Legionnaires dressed up as Soviet soldiers and staged a mock communist takeover of the town. The arrested and locked up the mayor, clergymen, nationalized all businesses, confiscated all firearms, and rid the library of rows of objectionable books. They also forced the residents to change eating habits as restaurants served only potato soup, dark bread, and black coffee, only Young Communist Leaguers were allowed to eat candy. After the trial takeover, the residents were “liberated” along with a huge celebration of all things patriotic and the burning of communist literature. The residents did the experiment to see what communist life would be like, concluding it was hardly worth living. They lacked freedom of privacy, speech, press, religion and even food. One resident traveled to a nearby city just to get something else to eat. The event is known as Mosinee’s Red May Day.
Effects on Domestic Politics: The most important issue dividing the two countries was how much control they should and did have over other nations. A policy of containment was adopted suggesting that the Soviets would expand only ...