Duck and Cover, yo.

Duck and Cover became a popular phrase in America during the Cold War. As the war progressed, the American government's use of propaganda skyrocketed. Propaganda was used everywhere from military support to the dangers of the atomic bomb. Communism was an ever present threat to American society during the Cold War. American citizens were warned almost everyday about the fact that the Soviets could bomb them at any second. As demonstrated in the video, Bert the Turtle, along with the others, were told to "duck and cover" in order to avoid the dangers of the atomic bomb. Although this would not protect anyone from an atomic attack, it gave many Americans a sense of comfort throughout this difficult time. Protection against the atomic bomb was not the only thing propaganda was used for, however.

The American government also used propaganda to stop the spread of communism. Stopping communism, or "containment," was the government's main focal point throughout the Cold War. Film, radio, and television were used to show the dangers of a communist society. The American Government tried to depict communist governments, mostly the Soviet Union, as dictatorships that brainwashed their citizens. Communist citizens were portrayed as robots who only functioned for the good of their country, while Communist leaders were portrayed as dictators whose main goal was to restrict the freedoms of their citizens. These depictions were used to show an American, capitalist way of life was the only form that was acceptable.

The American government was also using propaganda to encourage military involvement. Even though there was a military draft at this time, the government was still actively trying to get men excited about joining the military. Many films were made to encourage young men to seriously consider the military as a career. This was an effective method for young men, especially men of lower classes that did not have much of a future ahead of them. Propaganda became such a big part of American society that Eisenhower created an independent agency called the United States Information Agency. The USIA was in charge of the millions of dollars that was put into pyschological warfare and propaganda throughout the rest of the Cold War.



Sources: http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/O-W/Propaganda-Cold-war.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda#Cold_War_propaganda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USIA

Pictures: http://www.designer-daily.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/america-under-communism.jpg
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/guide/pp0594.jpg
http://www.esquirecomics.com/resources/collection_images/AtomicWar2.jpg

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKqXu-5jw60