Cold War Propaganda

The Cold War was an era of widespread tension and unrest. The United States of America and the USSR were on the balls of their feet and vulnerable. It was an era of mistrust and paranoia. Propaganda was a primary contributor to the societal consensus of the USSR and their perception of the country. Propaganda is much more than a poster or a visual created by the government, it exists in all mediums of communications, many of which are forms of art. Literature, movies and comic books were used to display aesthetically appealing anti-USSR images and propaganda.


In 1984 amidst the thick of the Cold War, Red Dawn was released. Red Dawn is a movie about regular teenagers and an invasion of Soviet-Communist forces into America. The teenagers take it upon themselves to defend their country from the evil invaders. The film is a powerful form of propaganda as it uses a suspenseful plot line with well known actors and actresses. The movie emotionally draws the viewer toward American pride and anti-Communist ideals. The film instills a sense of immediate danger to the American people. Films have always been considered a form of art. It utilizes creative energy to create an outcome that visually captivates the viewer.



This is a comic book cover from 1960 that portrays the United States as vulnerable toward the evil ways of Communism. It shows the United States as a happy and peaceful society, using Uncle Sam comfortably perched on a boat. The comic book cover Shows the USSR, China and North Korea as gravestones on a red iceberg. There is much symbolism in this piece of propaganda art. First, the portrait of Uncle Sam instills a sense into the viewers that America is innocent and peaceful. Next the red iceberg symbolizes evil and the Communist countries on the gravestone represent doom and death that Communism brings.

This is a book cover from 1960. Here, Communists are clearly portrayed as an vulgar and evil being, attempting to rape an innocent beautiful American woman and an all-American man rescuing her. Much like the propaganda behind Red Dawn, it instills a sense of personal responsibility to resent and destroy Communism and its evils. There are many artistic values represented in this book cover. First and foremost, it is an illustration that uses analogous colors and framing techniques to centralize the focus. For example, the blond woman is in the center frame of the illustration. This emphasizes the epicenter of the action in the illustration. On the right and the left are two contrasting individuals fighting for the woman.