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