Cold War liberalism was an important way of thought and political belief that began at the end of WWII. This term was used to describe liberal politicians who believed in achieving civil rights and inclusion for all non-whites, but they did not want to take political risks to achieve this. Though Cold War Liberalism helped America in certain ways, it did not satisfy all the demands of inclusion. Cold War Liberalism specifically encountered problems with race, class, and gender. In terms of race, Cold War Liberalism only supported the Civil Rights Movement to a certain extent and it most certainly did not support the Black Panther Movement. With class, Cold War Liberalism only seemed to be helping white middle-class citizens, but they were still …show more content…
Cold War Liberalism did not believe that radical changes were needed to be made but they supported new government programs. These programs “supported the aid for education and housing, gradual progress in civil rights, and aggressive military containment of communism abroad” (The Movements of the New Left 5). Though Cold War liberalism supported change, they implemented no means to achieve it. They emphasized that they wanted to achieve civil rights for all individuals but did not want to take political risks to achieve this goal. Essentially, Cold War Liberalism was the creation of the Democratic Party and some Republicans who wanted to defend and extend the New Deal (C.D. 10-26-16). Cold War Liberalism was limited to what they could accomplish because of those who supported this movement. At that time, the Democratic party was split into two factions, on one hand, was the Northern liberals but on the other side was Southern white conservatives. These Southern conservatives were not supportive of great changes, especially in terms of race because they did not believe in full racial equality. According to the National Review, white individuals firmly believed that they were the superior race and would “take whatever measures necessary to make certain that [they have] its way” (The Rise of Conservatism in America 52). Therefore, the Democratic Party needed to appease all their supporters to a certain extent to ensure their people were put in government
This agenda was likely a direct response to the Cold War
The Cold War lasted decades and tensions continued to heightened. Trepidation spread among American citizens about the future of their country and world. Would communism take over or would the United States stand their ground and push for democracy? Following the Second World War, the Cold War caused the American people to fear the growth Communism, an economic depression, and a possible nuclear war, yet the Eisenhower Administration successfully addressed these concerns and implemented ways to reduce these fears. First and foremost, the American people feared that communism would spread and take over governments in other nations beyond the Kremlin.
In 1945 African American civil rights advocates established challenges to the racial discriminations. Black Veterans and workers, after having already had a taste of liberation while being away at war, peregrinated home with the hope of reenergizing the civil rights movement. Many of the core resources such as leadership, legal resources, strategy coalitions with the whites, and a connecting philosophy to propel the movement forward, in the fight for African American equality converged during and right after the war (Schaller et. al. 942). President Harry Truman even took the time to make civil rights a component of his political and domestic agenda during his reign.
The events of the country due to the war is what made it visible to many that there were serious issues regarding inequality in the United States. The Cold War became the fuel of Civil Rights activists and leaders to pursue their cause despite a larger force going against them. The U.S. faced backlash not only from their people within their own country, but the people from surrounding countries as well. It doesn’t look good for a country to fight for the rights of those in other countries while simultaneously neglecting the rights of people in their own nation. The Cold War impacted the Civil Rights Movement because of the practice of McCarthyism and how it damaged the hopes of Civil Rights activists, the criticism faced by the U.S. due to its segregation policies, and
The Cold War was a time in history when there was a great political and military turmoil between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Cold War shaped the world in these three ways, women’s rights, society,Cultural. These three changed people in positive and negative ways. Once again, women were called upon to fulfill a role in the defense of America on one hand to perpetuate the American population and on the other to promote American ideals abroad. Women had a chance to be equal to men.
Sarah Paroya D period I hate MUSH The end of World War II should have marked a period of relief in America but instead, it lead America into a completely different type of war called the Cold War. The Cold War was an ongoing state of political and military tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. This constant state of tension and fear had been embedded deep in the American public.
As Civil Rights leaders began to speak out against the government and capitalism, they too began to be flagged as “communists.” The Cold
The 1950s through the 1970s were a period of significant social, cultural, and political change in the United States. The post-World War II era saw a boom in consumerism, suburbanization, and the rise of the middle class. The GI Bill, which provided education and housing benefits to returning veterans, helped fuel the growth of the suburbs and the demand for new homes and consumer goods. The 1950s were also marked by a conservative social and political climate, with the rise of McCarthyism and the Red Scare, which targeted suspected communists and leftists. In the 1960s, the country experienced a wave of social and cultural change, driven by the civil rights movement, the women's movement, and the anti-war movement.
he first chapter of The Cold War: A New History begins by comparing the United States to the U.S.S.R. and talking about the similarities between the two. It also talks about Communism and how Marx deemed it necessary in order to build up the economy. Lenin tried to implement Communism in Russia. They were not quite ready for that kind of system, so Stalin tried to modernize the economy. The U.S.S.R. had more casualties in World War II, but things were not necessarily looking great in America either.
When trying to define a word such as Liberalism it seems difficult to find a solid definition. There are different forms of liberalism and different meanings depending on the time period it is being applied to (idea taken from Phil Badger author from philosophynow). To solve this ambiguity, I’ve decided to define liberalism based on the time period in which I will be conducting my research. Liberalism in the 1700s was the belief of freedom and equals rights generally associated with the enlightenment thinkers, John Locke and Montesquieu (as defined by wikipedia.org). Liberalism didn’t start in the 1700s.
Daniella Gat GlobalA 1 U.S actions during the Cold War were not justified. It has probably happened many times in life when you take actions and someone gets mad or doesn 't agree. Then you must come up with any reason possible to make it justified, but sometimes not everything can be justified. For example, a person murdering a random person they have never met before and do not know, can’t be justified. The actions that the U.S took during the Cold War are similar to this, as they weren’t always justified.
The Soviet Union has been an enigma, but still, a very significant contributor to the history of the world. There have been many rulers in Soviet Union history. The Soviet Union has been through economic successes and downfalls, ages of terror, a world war, was once an ally of the United States, today is an enemy of the US. If we were to add the history from the Soviet Union to our textbooks , what information should be emphasized? There are many important areas about the Soviet Union, three of them are: cultural achievements, military strength and political repression.
The main idea is that the civil society should be governing itself. In other words, there is a fundamental belief in individual freedom. Classical liberalism holds the view that the people have natural rights and these rights are separate from government. This view is opposite towards the general opinion where the government grants rights. It is a time of scientific revolutions and the time when the power of Catholic Church had no longer the same type of power as before.
"The Cold War was an ideological contest between the western democracies especially the United States and the Communist countries that emerged after the Second World War" (Tindall 972). The United States and the Soviet Union had differences over issues such as human rights, individual liberties, economic freedom, and religious belief. "Mutal suspicion and a race to gain influence and control over the so called nonaligned or third world countries further polarized" (Tindall 945). After the WWII Soviets dominate European countries and thought the U.S. had the same motives.
The Cold War lasted forty-four years and left a lasting social impact on the United States. The spread of communism and The Soviet Union left many Americans in a constant state of fear and paranoia. The space race between the United States and The Soviet Union significantly impacted the education system in the United States and the curriculum that was taught for years to come. The social emphasis on gender caused a crisis on American masculinity and feminism by influencing many to assume certain gender roles and feel that they were not masculine enough or too feminine because of their view on communism. The Cold War socially impacted the United States through fear, education, and gender.