The Pros And Cons Of The Cold War

Between 1945 and 1960, the Cold War was the conflict between the Communist nations led by the Soviet Union and the democratic nations led by the United States. It was fought by all means – political propaganda, economic trade policy shifts, diplomatic (or flexible response) haggling, and occasional military clashes. It is, quite safe to say that in 1947, “when President Truman, of the United States, declared an anti-communist policy, with the creation of the Truman Doctrine of 1947 and the Marshall Plan, the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union began.” (Economic Cooperation, 79)

The two nations differed in ideology and economic structure, but, shared the desire to control each other. Back then, the United States was defined

This strategy for America catapulted the African American Civil Rights Movement between 1954 and 1968. Exclusion was now more targeted at those who were deemed un-American because of their ideas and behavior, instead of their race. Gerstle states that because some argued that civil rights movements were communist inspired, the Soviet Union attempted to use the presence of discrimination, poverty, and adverse treatment in the US as a platform to sway, as well as, recruit Black and other minority or immigrant support. However, Blacks took this opportunity to “widen and amplify” protests (page 250), ultimately deciding that the 1950s was a good time for civil rights movements. Blacks no longer worried, as much, that any perceived association between communism and civil rights would impede their progress. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) was one victory that

Truman supported the aggressive containment of the Soviet Union. He knew communism wasn’t the American Dream. He feared losing control of the nation’s visions that were directly opposite of those expressed by the Soviet Union. In America Through the Eyes of its People, Truman in his doctrine of 1947 says that “one’s way of life is based upon the will of the majority, and is distinguished by free institutions, representative government, free elections, guaranties of individual liberty, freedom of speech and religion, and freedom from political oppression.” (Page 211) His premise summarizes what the events of the Cold War and Civil Rights Movements, together, made possible. This doctrine clearly defined the things that the mixture or melting pot of American people valued more than fighting amongst themselves because of superficial issues like race, and made America refocus on what was really important, losing all these valuable rights under communist