The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!: Pageantry and Patriotism in Cold-War America
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Author Description
This book explores a widely lived yet little remembered facet of America's cultural and political history: the Cold War as experienced at the grassroots level. Here, Fried traces the cresting of modern patriotic observance during World War II and then shows how patriotic and civic activists afterwards labored to recreate a remembered unity and commitment in the tension-filled Cold War era. A variety of national and local entities mounted campaigns "to sell America to the Americans" through "rededication" celebrations like Know Your America Week and Freedom Week. The American Heritage Foundation wheeled out the Freedom Train, which carried seminal documents of the nation's past to railroad depots across the US. Fried revisits the 1950 "Communist invasion" of Mosinee, Wisconsin, when ersatz Stalinists harassed and bullied citizens and the town's eateries served only potato soup and black bread. He also depicts the creation and inauguration of new patriotic events like Loyalty Day and Armed Forces Day.Meticulously researched, this book recreates a colorful, sometimes comical, and always revealing dimension of our history.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This book investigates how Cold War-era patriotic movements and civic rituals were utilized to manufacture national unity and combat perceived internal threats during a period of intense political tension. Richard M. Fried, a historian specializing in the Cold War, examines the intersection of grassroots activism and government-sponsored propaganda. By analyzing campaigns such as 'Know Your America Week' and the deployment of the Freedom Train, the author argues that these public displays were deliberate attempts to reinforce American identity against the backdrop of global ideological conflict.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of post-World War II patriotic observances and civic rededication campaigns.
- Case studies of local events, including the 1950 mock communist invasion of Mosinee, Wisconsin.
- Examination of institutional efforts to promote national loyalty through events like Armed Forces Day.
- Documentation of the role played by the American Heritage Foundation in shaping public discourse.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Historians and scholars of the Cold War era frequently cite this work for its detailed archival research into the intersection of domestic politics and cultural performance. Experts highlight the text as a significant contribution to understanding how state-sponsored patriotism functioned at the local level during the mid-twentieth century.
Page Count:
240
Publication Date:
1999-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0199923744
ISBN-13:
9780199923748
History
Cultural History
American History
Political History
Cold War
