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History of the Future

History of the Future. The Cold War & Paranoia in the 1950s. As World War II Finishes. Soviet Union has key role in Nazi defeat Builds up international credibility Strong Communist parties in France, Italy Asserts new control in E. Europe US finishes war as sole Great Power

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History of the Future

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  1. History of the Future The Cold War & Paranoia in the 1950s

  2. As World War II Finishes • Soviet Union has key role in Nazi defeat • Builds up international credibility • Strong Communist parties in France, Italy • Asserts new control in E. Europe • US finishes war as sole Great Power • 50% of world manufacturing capability • Most power Army, Navy, Airforce • Only nuclear power

  3. The US Policy: Containment • US policy from 1947 • Soviet expansionism as major world threat • Defensive response, open ended • Strengthening of international alliances • NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) • Bretton Woods (IMF, World Bank) • GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade) • Marshall Plan (Rebuild Western Europe)

  4. China • Mao takes power, 1949 • War relations with Soviets through 1950s • West tends to view Communism as monolithic • Korean War begins 1950 • Finishes with battles between Chinese & UN (largely American) troops • Result is a draw • More paranoia • Manchurian Candidate (1962, from 1959 novel)

  5. McCarthyism • Joseph McCarthy, Republican Senator (1908-1957) • Habitual liar, alcoholic • Facing defeat in 1950, claims list of 25 communists in State department • Smears Truman administration as “Reds” • Chairs Committee on Government Operations • Many careers destroyed • Colleagues turn against after targeting US Army, fellow Republicans • Exposed on TV, censured by Senate in 1954

  6. Film Interlude • Anti-communist propaganda film

  7. HUAC • House Committee on Un-American Affairs • Created in 1938, used by opponents of New Deal • Best known for “Hollywood Hearings” of 1947-1948 • 10 screenwriters and directors jailed for contempt • uses hearings as political weapon • Nixon makes political mark here • Becomes Vice President in 1952

  8. The Rosenberg Case • Julius & Ethel Rosenberg • Jointed communist party in 1939 • Passed atomic secrets from Manhattan project during WWII • Arrested 1950 (around Korean war) • Executed 1953 – unusual for civilians • Millions believed innocent • Other prominent spy trials of era • Alger Hiss (“pumpkin papers”) • Klaus Fuchs

  9. Eisenhower & Politics • War leader turned president • Centrist, non-ideological • Accepted reforms of New Deal period • Leaned toward corporations • Cold war supports domestic truce • “New Deal Order” lasts into 1970s

  10. Civil Rights & Religion • Cold War puts spotlight on “freedom” • MLK exploits cleverly & non-violently • Intensive activism following WWII • Truman desegregates army • Brown v. Board of Education case, 1954 • Rosa Parks and the bus, 1955 • Civil Rights Act 1957, peak comes in 60s • Billy Graham – Christian Revivalism • Massive popularity in 1950s

  11. Economic Competition • Soviet economy seen as dangerously efficient • Used as argument for more planning, simulation, modeling in USA • Used as argument for national scientific database • Challenges capitalism to justify superiority

  12. Sputnik • First artificial satellite, October 1957 • Soviet propaganda triumph • US effort undermined by political bickering • Crisis of confidence results • Eventual strengthening of US science • Formation of ARPA (funds research) • Big boost for high school science, etc. • NASA created

  13. George Orwell - 1984 • Orwell – British leftist journalist & novelist • Published 1948 • Critique of Stalinism • Several famous concepts • Big Brother • Newspeak • Doublethink • control of past = control of future • Influential use of future

  14. Ray Bradbury • Well known as SF writer in 40s & 50s • Martian Chronicles issued as book 1950 • Fantastic, nostalgic, small town • Fahrenheit 451 • 1951 in Galaxy, 1953 as book • Popular dystopia • Read widely as “mainstream” author

  15. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. • Earliest novels were science fiction • Player Piano, 1952 – automation • Sirens of Titan, 1959 – religion • Cat’s Cradle, 1963 – science & morality • Slaughterhouse-Five, 1969 • Hugely popular “mainstream” novel • Kilgore Trout • recurring character – SF writer

  16. Paranoia: Alien Invasion • Aliens disguised as humans in films • Invasion of the Body Snatchers – 1956 • I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958) • And in Print • The Puppet Masters (Heinlein) – 1951

  17. The Cold War in SF • Surprisingly little direct coverage • Other than nuclear aftermath stories • Interest in war stories fades somewhat • Some treatment of Communists • Who? (Algis Budrys) – 1958 • More general sense of paranoia • Philip K. Dick - Time Out of Joint (1959)

  18. Meanwhile • JRR Tolkien – Lord of the Rings • Published 1954-1955 • Seen as allegory of WWII • Builds cult following through 1960s

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