Postwar American Society and Cold War History Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards generated from history notes covering the 1952 election, Cold War paranoia, nuclear warfare, and anti-communist sentiment.

Matthew W. Dunne

Author of 'A Cold War State of Mind: Brainwashing And Postwar American Society' (Chapter 2, pages 52-59).

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Candidate in the Presidential Election of 1952 who framed godless communism as a direct threat to individual life and freedom, differentiating himself from the Democratic nominee.

Communist

Someone who believes that a society's wealth and land (factories, resources) should be owned collectively by the entity, not by private individuals or corporations.

Pre-Cold War Anti-Communism

Anti-communist efforts prior to the Cold War that focused specifically upon a local Communist Party.

Brainwashing

A technique people believed Communists used to control minds and souls, leading to portrayals of people in Communist countries as robots, zombies, or puppets.

High-Profile Political Trials

Trials in the late Forties and Early Fifties that allegedly revealed a network of Communist spies working in upper echelons of the Federal government and American society.

The Trinity Test

The first Atomic Bomb test, which occurred on July 16, 1945, in the New Mexico desert.

Fallout Shelters

Shelters built by people during the era of nuclear warfare due to the fear of nuclear annihilation and radiation.

Duck and Cover

A warning drill communicated in a sing-songy voice to relieve fears while warning about nuclear dangers such as bursting windows, burns, and bomb blasts.

McCarthy

A key historical figure studied regarding his extreme opposition to Communism during the Cold War era.