1 The Cold War Paranoia in Novels and Films Daniel Iniguez Davila N00883304 2 Introduction The Cold War continued from the year 1940 to 1990 between the two powerful nations the “United States” and the “Soviet Union”. The fear sparked by the “Cold War” had major consequences on communities worldwide, especially since it impacted the American public immensely. The Soviet Federation opposed the “United States” throughout the War. The dominant narrative depicted socialism in terms of an all-pervasive danger that aimed to threaten democratic principles, single liberty, and the capitalist system. American people are firmly imbued with the terror of nuclear destruction. There was ubiquitous anxiety due to the threat of atomic war and potentially catastrophic effects which impacted the entire community (Coupe, Joshua, et al 8523). Extraterrestrial attacks, nuclear catastrophes, and other calamities were portrayed in those movies. The number of UFO observation claims increased throughout the Cold War, which heightened unease and anxiety. The acceptance of Science fiction books was raised throughout the period. In this essay, the anxiety created due to the “Cold War” and several novels, and films shaped the thoughts of American Society illustrated here. Discussion The Impact of Atomic War on American Society The fear of Nuclear war impacted the American people at the time of the “Cold War” as the people were constantly afflicted by the worry of the war. The entire community struggled with the mental consequences of surviving under nuclear arms which causes massive devastation and death (Armstrong and David 35). The basis of “ Mutual Assured Destruction(MAD)” is the concept of every portion’s attacking arsenal outperforms one; protective ability. Certain individuals believe that aversion is constant throughout the duration including business sectors that are impacted by the harmful effect of the war. “Civil Defence” initiatives are taken to safeguard citizens from attack. Different aspects of everyday life were influenced by the dread 3 of nuclear conflict. These fear impacted the entire culture of the nation which have consequence in novels, films, and media programs. Views of communism as this monolithic world threat "Communism" was considered a global jeopardise throughout the "Cold War", especially in America. Based on the perspective of democracy, personal liberty, and capitalism structure were threatened by communist systems which were integrated and widespread concepts. The expansion of the communist system globally was a substantial threat to overthrowing the democratic systems. The belief was that the "Soviet Union" was responsible for the spreading of communism and its initiatives worldwide. "Joseph Stalin" and "Mao Zedong" were known as brutal individuals who were responsible for communism horrors. The "domino" hypothesis was a concept that once a nation was under the communist system other nations follow similar activities (Ružičić-Kessler 183). The idea affected American offshore rules, including those regarding the “Vietnam” Conflict, whereas the concern over communist expansion across “Southeast Asia” was a major factor. “Red Scare” was notably observed in America for the fear of communist control. The “United States” considered the communist system a monolithic world threat, a major anxiety of the nation. The Influence of Science Fiction and News Media “Science Fiction” influences the people and their thoughts at the time of “The Cold War” which focused on the geopolitical situation of that time. It was represented as a famous category that emphasised prevailing expectations and anxieties. Science fiction novels and films portrayed the nuclear war, well-developed contemporary armaments, and the associated risks which impacted the thoughts of people and arise fear in their minds (Dolan 106). It portrayed several hypothetical circumstances including atomic war, foreign attacks, and futuristic regimes which enable readers to connect with the consequences of international warfare (Shippey 95). The 4 risks associated with the war were properly represented which made people aware and changed their thoughts. "Cold War: A World History" by Odd Arne Westad illustrated the two powerful nations and their conflicts and focused on the impact of American society and other nations (Holloway 235). The thoughts of the American people were influenced extensively by the news media. Media agencies shaped the understanding of the people with world affairs and confrontations through their coverage, evaluation, and commentary (Dorsch). The entire structure of mainstream media and the content chosen influenced the prevailing myths associated with the “Cold War” such as the idea that communist rules posed integrated risks and the significance of protecting the country. Consequences of Horror Movies and UFOs Hollywood created multiple horror films which is the reason for societal stress. Extraterrestrial attacks, nuclear catastrophes, and other calamities were portrayed in those movies. “The lost missile” and “The War of World” which were released in 1953 depicted the contemporary anxiety, nuclear attacks, and other catastrophes of that period. “The War of World” by “Byron Haskin” focused on Martian warfare devices, catastrophic assaults, and the technological progress of weaponry. The audiovisual effects impacted the thoughts of the people. The film the times of the “Cold War” and the anxiety of nuclear conflicts that affected the life of the people (The Criterion Collection). The film connected the viewers with the worries and hypothetical alien incursion as a symbol of worldwide calamity. According to the article “The New Yorker UFO “ of May 10th,2021 investigated the way the US Government’s perception of UFOs has changed with time and they started researching these. “The Advanced Aerospace Identification Program(AATIP)” was created by Pentagon which is the Defence Department in the US to examine the UFO existence (Lewis-Kraus). The 5 Pentagon made three earlier disclosed footage about UAPs availability and declared them as genuine in the year 2020. The research report of June would provide more details of the UAP occurrences and the Government responses towards the events. Conclusion The anxiety created as a result of the “Cold War” impacted American society immensely. The anxiety about the communist system and the suspicious danger of Soviet penetration restricted the individual freedom of the American public. Entire facets of the American population are affected by the constant worry of Nuclear conflict. The deep impact of Nuclear destruction on the world affected people and their lives. Furthermore, some Science Fiction novels and films that represented the consequences of the conflicts describing the weaponry with their technological developments shaped the thoughts and created anxiety among the population. News media has a crucial effect on the people by representing several events during the time of the “Cold War” including some U.F.O attacks which influenced the people and impacted their livelihoods and cultures. Several types of research demonstrated the reality and after years people of “the United States” can overcome the fear generated by the “Cold War”. 6 Works Cited Armstrong, J. David. "The Soviet Union and the United States." The Soviet Union in East Asia. Routledge, 2019. 31- 49.https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429314919-4/sovietunion-united-states-david-armstrong Coupe, Joshua, et al. "Nuclear winter responses to nuclear war between the United States and Russia in the whole atmosphere community climate model version 4 and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies ModelE." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 124.15 (2019): 8522- 8543.https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2019JD030509 Dolan, Timothy. "Science fiction as moral allegory." Journal of Future Studies 24.3 (2020): 105-12.https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Timothy-Dolan3/publication/340871051_Science_Fiction_as_Moral_Allegory/links/5ea1b61c45851 5ec3a02bc38/Science-Fiction-as-Moral-Allegory.pdf Dorsch, Kate. Reliable Witnesses, Crackpot Science: Ufo Investigations In Cold War America, 1947-1977. Diss. 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