The Cold War: The Rise Of Communism During The Vietnam War

The Cold War hung over America like a dark cloud from the end of World War II in 1945 until its official end in 1990. Unsure of where the tensions between the democratic America and Stalin's communist Soviet Union would lead, life surely changed for those on the home front. The American population stood as "captives of a nuclear nightmare of fear, suspicion, and posturing" (America, pg. 1215). The Cold War was more so a war of propaganda than of military intervention, yet had political, economic, and cultural ramifications all the same throughout the decades it carried on. With that said, there were military engagements during this time. The Korean and Vietnam Wars both served to stop communism from further expanding its ideas and territory. However, it was the …show more content…
Fear and speculation concerning communism and this "silent" war became the norm and it bled into everything. The anticommunist propaganda was widespread and could not be missed. This brought about a great sense of patriotism in America and supported the growing fears and threat that Communism perceived to pose to the West. This would eventually spark a Salem Witch Hunt of sorts as fears only grew. Campaign ads even played on this fear and the Americans overwhelming desire to stop communism from taking over. Here in the Daisy Commercial, President Johnson with the imagery of an atomic bomb exploding in the back ground, proclaims that communism must be stopped or the alternative is essentially death (Daisy). The ad plays on the emotions of the people to solicit votes. It also portrays President Johnson as the hero giving