Cold War DBQ

The Cold War caused people to question the United States’ government’s reliability and strength, which negatively affected America’s domestic affairs and foreign policies. Citizens lost respect and trust in the government and other civilians, due to several threats within the country and worldwide. People were left questioning their rights and safety due to the second Red Scare, which threatened the coming of power of communism within America. Various forms of propaganda advertised fears, causing panic to spread throughout the country. Russia’s gain of power throughout Eurasia showed off the USSR’s strength and abilities, threatening the Western Powers. The arms race caused tensions between the U.S. and USSR, bringing them closer to the brink

McCarthyism falsely accused people of supporting communism and being unloyal to America(Document D). These claims had no proper evidence which justified the said assertions. Individuals who were accused of being a communist or a spy, even if the facts were not accurate, were looked down upon and occasionally prosecuted. Accused people no longer supported the war, for it led to the government punishing the innocent(Document G). Not only was the government believed to be unreliable, but trust between people was a large issue during the Cold War. People rarely trusted one another, in fear they were assisting a spy or communist(Document K). An example of this is when Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were executed for espionage; they were not aware they were leaking information, it was their relative, who they told information to, who told Russia the

foreign and domestic policies because it scared Americans and caused tension within the country and worldwide, leading to a lack of trust within the country. The second Red Scare, propaganda, Russian growth in power, nuclear tension, and the Hollywood Ten were all parts of the war that damaged American policies. Civilians lost trust between one another and within the government. Communism intimidated many people, and the Cold War made it appear as though it would soon take over the world. However, Truman and Eisenhower made it evident that the United States was fighting for innocent civilians worldwide, but they could not promise a steady government or country while the tension exists with Russia, but the nation is doing what they must(Document C). Therefore, the Cold War spread fear which led to the United States being negatively impacted in domestic and foreign