Better Dead Than Red
To most Americans, the Soviet Union represented all that was at odds with commonly-held "traditional" values. Communism and atheism were portrayed synonymously to be just as dangerous as nuclear weapons. During the Berlin Crisis of 1961, a poll demonstrated that 82% of Americans preferred a nuclear war over communism. “Better dead than red” became a slogan for a civil defense policy that united a country against this opposing ideology.
The comic book image to the right - published in 1949, when communism was moving into parts of Eastern Europe and China - reflected the growing fear of a world revolution.
Cold War ideologies after World War II were made known in the U.S. in a variety of ways. In the spring of 1954, thousands of Americans - mostly government employees, members of the entertainment industry and educators - were charged with having communist sympathies. The trials that followed were led by Senator Joseph McCarthy (left) of Wisconsin, from which the term "McCarthyism" later adopted a larger meaning: to accuse people of subversive behavior, often without any evidence.
"We believe in freedom!" This became the idea by which America was measured against the Soviet Union and communism in general; and is the signature slogan to emerge from this 10-minute film distributed in 1952 by Coronet Instructional Films. Click on the play icon to the left to discover how an account of the history of communism - and perhaps its future - was seen in early Cold War America. What ideologies are emphasized in the film and what are only mentioned? What does a film like this one mean in today's world?
from the archive
Georgia state Senate Bill No. 82 (1949) required all state employees - including teachers - to sign the Loyalty Oath above. Click on this item to examine the entire document.
A Sedition and Subversion Act of 1954 (above, right) required educators to fill out a security questionnaire. The State School Superintendent sends correspondence to the local school districts about how to issue them - and what to ask. Click on this item to examine the entire document.
In 1953, Senior Scholastic Magazine ran a series of articles titled "Freedom Answers Communism." Each week students and teachers could read about the differences between their own economic and social system and that of the Soviet bloc. Click on the images to the right to open the issues and read for yourself. Then search the Cold War ideologies tag in the items list above.