HIST 456-01, Cold War America, Spring 2008

Abstract

This course will survey the United States’ involvement in the Cold War and how conflict with the Soviet Union shaped postwar international affairs, domestic politics, and American culture and society. Students will learn about the rise of the Soviet-American global rivalry and how this competition played itself out in different theatres. Readings will cover the growth of tensions over issues like the Truman Doctrine or Communist control of Vietnam, as well as Cold War nuclear policies. In addition, students will study the development of domestic anticommunism, the rise and fall of McCarthyism, and how the drive against the Soviets influenced domestic politics. Further, the course will examine Cold War culture in the United States and discuss issues of consensus and dissent in American society. Finally, students will be asked to assess the long-term implications of the Cold War on US foreign policy and American politics and culture, and what relevance the Cold War has in today’s “multi-polar” world.