Post on 15-Jan-2016
SOCIETY, ECONOMY, AND THE COLD WAR
Liberalism and the Cold War
Battle for Postwar World
Liberalism in postwar worldWould New Deal be maintained, extended,
gutted?Ideas of consensusBut really a battle over postwar political-
economyEffects of anti-communism on society and
reform effortsThe politics of mass consumption
The Liberal Consensus
FDR: Freedom from Want & Fear – the New Deal; economic security for all
Schlesinger: U.S. is a liberal nationSchlesinger: Dems and Reps both liberal
(consensus)Galbraith: liberal project must be expanded
to include all AmericansEmployment Act of 1946: govt. required to
increase employment, consumption; creation of Council of Economic Advisors – acceptance of govt. role in economy
Postwar Liberalism, aka…
Keynesianism, American-styleThe third way (neither pure capitalism nor
socialism)Social democracyConsumers’ RepublicThe Affluent SocietyThe mixed economy (both govt. and private
components)The New Deal Order
Liberalism: defined
Government involvement in economy to ensure certain level of social equality
Government action to curb worst aspects of market capitalism (inequality, speculation, boom-and-bust econony)
Government action to ensure consumers have money to take part in economy, thus boosting consumption and production (Keynesianism)
Social safety net, social welfare, social security to ensure basic living standard
Major actors in New Deal coalition
Democratic Party, particularly northern Democrats
Southern Democrats reluctant participants, particularly for black residents
Labor movement: right to organize granted by 1935 Wagner Act
Ethnic urban voters who saw New Deal as means of achieving American Dream
Black Americans, formerly loyal to Party of Lincoln
The Consumers’ Republic
U.S. goal of a mass consumption economyCitizen consumers – good Americans buy
goods, support economy, ensure U.S. economic growth and dominance
Fits with liberal ideals: govt. involvement, ideals of equality, inclusion in economic prosperity
Ensured by civic actors: unions, consumer advocates, govt. agencies/programs
Symbols of Consumers’ Republic
Shopping mallsSuburban growthGeographical and social mobilityTelevisionCar cultureHighwaysAppliances – household goodsChange in political culture – consumptionFast food
Opponents & Problems
Conservative opposition from southern Democrats and Republicans
Taft-Hartley Act (1947) – unions had to purge communists, right-to-work laws outlawing closed shop
Anti-communism used as tool to fight unions, expansion of liberalism, civil rights
Failures to organize southern workers – Operation Dixie, 1946
A SHORT HISTORY
The Cold War:
Major Strategies
Domino Theory – if one country falls to communism, others will fall
ContainmentSpace raceArms race, deterrent Use propaganda at home: work hard,
consume, patriotism, anticommunism (McCarthyism), Red Scare, blacklisting
Spread democracy and/or capitalism
Major Strategies of Cold War
Containment – stop communism from spreading, keep it where it already existed
Domino Theory – if one country goes communist, others will too
Truman Doctrine – aid to countries to fight communism
Marshall PlanMilitary bases abroadNuclear weapons, deterrentAlliances – NATO, UN
Cold War doc #1: George Kennan’s “Long Telegram,” 1946
Soviets believe in inevitable conflict between communist and capitalist powers
Soviets irrational, ignorant of reality, fanatical
Should be contained: by show of force, at many diff. points around world
Kennan: “Much depends on the health and vigor of our own society.”
U.S. should solve domestic problems as symbol of American Way
U.S. should project positive ideals to world
C.W. doc #2: Truman Doctrine, 1947
Greek civil war between communists and nationalists
Truman requested U.S. aid to prevent communist victory
Set precedent of U.S. action to prevent communist expansion
Concept of containment – limiting communism to countries behind Iron Curtain
C.W. doc #3: Marshall Plan, 1947
George C. Marshall (Sec. of State under Truman) speech
Addressing problem of recovery in Europe after WWII – devastated cities, economies
Europe “must have substantial additional help, or face economic, social, and political deterioration of a very grave character.”
“purpose should be the revival of working economy in the world so as to permit the emergence of political and social conditions in which free institutions can exist”
Marshall Plan (cont.)
Soviets and Warsaw Pact countries invited to apply for aid
Economic stability would prevent countries from going communist – another policy of containment
Economic recovery would provide markets for American goods, thus boosting American economy further
Between 1948-1952 - 13 billion dollars in aid
Political Cartoon, Edwin Marcus, “Can He Block It?,” ca. 1947
Marshall Plan Countries Map
C.W. doc #4: Ike’s “Domino Theory”
President Eisenhower’s April 7, 1954 press conference
Eisenhower asked about “the strategic importance of Indochina (Vietnam) to the free world”
Context: China had gone Commie in 1949; Korean War, 1950-53
Fear that Vietnam or other Asian countries or colonies would go communist
“Finally, you have broader considerations that might follow what you would call the "falling domino" principle. You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly. So you could have a beginning of a disintegration that would have the most profound influences.”
Domino Theory (cont.)
Eisenhower: “the 'falling domino' principle. You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly. So you could have a beginning of a disintegration that would have the most profound influences.”
Concern for people who would be under dictatorship
Concern that Japan (new ally) would be threatened by loss of Asian markets, buffer zone
C.W. doc #5: Kitchen Debate, 1959
Link to debate (with subtitles)
Common Themes
U.S. govt. action must be taken at home and abroad to achieve mass consumption society
Mass consumption will help Americans (and others) achieve higher quality of life, political stability, ideals of equality
American Way of Life should be spread around world and used as bulwark against communist expansion
Major Problems in Postwar Society
Anticommunism and nationalism overwhelmed idealism
Liberalism containedForeign anticommunism led to war and
retrenchmentMass consumption became end in itself w/o
liberal ideals (equality, fairness, labor rights/standards)
Creation of modern middle class – forget about those who haven’t made it
Cultural and political conformity resulting from mass consumption or mass anticommunist hysteria