The Lasting Social and Political Impact of the 1950s - Essay Example

? The lasting Social and Political impact of the 1950’s The Arms Race combined with the Space Race that began in the 1950’s had a defining and resonating impact both culturally and politically. This research will present studies from the decade that defined not only a truly pivotal moment in American and World History, but details that the effects from that era still have a direct impact on both modern politics and present day cultural movements. Findings that support the argument of influence will be compared to those that describe the decade as something other than the proving ground for American cultural mettle. Beginning with the basic arms race this paper will present studies that show the technological and educational benefits of the race to arm the nations. The full effect of the national mobilization, in both countries, was a unique and monumental undertaking that served to provide the technical knowledge that led the staggering innovations of the subsequent generation. Proving that the benefits ran far beyond the military application, this study will confirm that argument that the 1950’s, in specific, marked a turning point in military ingenuity and upper tier scientific exploration. Directly accompanying this rise in technology was the fundamental fact that better education was needed to further any significant works. Birthed of the militaries need for expertise in new and still developing fields of research this study presents arguments that define the effect that need had on the education system of an entire nation. With new demands and ever increasing competition from the Soviet Union, the American education system underwent a substantial upgrade. Such an accomplishment, while made for sake of the brief military need, still serves to provide educated students for a still warring world. Alongside the Military buildup of the 1950’s, the Space Race helped to define a nations pride and determination. In direct competition with the U.S.S.R., American Space technology was thrust into the mainstream of society. Unknown and unremarkable scientists became national heroes and figures of consequence nearly overnight. By proving that the need for the American culture to feel triumphant helped to fuel the drive to space, this research will link the importance of the Space race to the cultural development in the decade of 1950 – 1960 and well beyond. By providing a point of national pride with which an entire population could not only rally around but hold up as role models and heroes, the Space Race provided an outlet for the pent up frustrations that were left simmering from the Second World War. Facing our once ally in a political and exploratory arena served to drive ingenuity and innovation to a never before level, that alone would have been a monumental achievement. Standing alongside the major accomplishments that took place in that decade, the research will show the profound influence that these footholds attained gave to following research. Much like the rest of the culture, competition combined with a sense of potential conflict, will serve to drive an already driven person to every greater height. On the other end of the cultural spectrum, the Space Race and the Arms race respectively are directly responsible for several still extant social movements across the globe. An entire philosophy was spawned by the detonation of the first nuclear bomb. The mere sight of the blue marble of Earth from space helped to cause the environmental movement; this was their first adopted symbol. The technology to see and the knowledge to learn that harm or potential harm would happen was direct result of military and space exploration innovation. This link will serve to show the fundamental and utterly connected nature that the movements of a society and their military are. The intertwining nature of a culture encompasses every facet and excludes none. During the 1950’s, there was such momentous tidal wave of change that the facts will make it nearly impossible to argue against. Despite the seemingly overwhelming case that this paper will build for the cumulative effects of the 1950’s, the opinion that there were in fact other issues at play and the decade did not serve as the milestone it was billed as will be presented. By delving into the opposing opinions and understanding the true culture that was prevalent at the time, the opposing point will be given a fair and equal hearing. By taking the time to balance every facet of the implications of the decade of 1950-60, and comparing the achievements by every nation, with later advances, the unmistakable roots will stretch directly back to the Space Race and the military’s cold war arms race. Understanding the root of developing technology, where our theories and initial studies developed from, will help to drive future innovation. As in any science, identifying our point of origin, and why we began to walk that path that we as a race have done, is imperative when searching for the best direction to take our next step. Learning from the lessons of the race to supremacy, will improve our race to humanity. The Cultural and Political impact of the Arms Race The time directly following the end of the Second World War was in a sense a moment of partnership, not meant last1. With competing political philosophies, it is no stretch to imagine the lack of surprise when the Soviet Union increasingly became polarized to the Western Powers. It took the ever present memory of the military might of both nations to forestall any actual bloodshed. By proxy both nations, the United States and the Soviet Union, began a calculated method of sublimating governments the world over. What this generated in the general public, of both super powers, were feelings of paranoia and fear. With these easily manipulated emotions firmly in command during the onset of the 1950’s, both of the competing nations desire to ascend to prominence free from competition is easy to understand. Understanding that in many cases it is fear or anger that drives any one culture to accomplish extraordinary goals, with the threat of losing to the competing Super power and becoming indoctrinated into their way of life, was a very constant and real threat. The fact that both of the active governments, the United States and the Soviet Union, drew inspiration from the perceived antagonism only went to make the game of one-upmanship ever more dramatic. Technologically this era signified a tremendous leap forward in theory and proven fact. With the alarming development of the Soviet Union detonating its own nuclear bomb, the race to become the preeminent military on the planet began. This moment of utter fear that the Soviet Union would surpass the United States in military might, marked the official beginning of the Arms Race. Militarily both nations devoted much of their existing budget on the development and further advancement of their nuclear and hydrogen bombs and their primary systems of the delivery2. It was the mutual assertion of destruction that was vital in keeping either nation from crossing the line into war. During the race to find the answers to the best way to best blow up the competition, such advances as the long range bombers came into being. The technology allowing for both weapons and the systems needed to support this process catapulted forward. It was the this initial wave of innovation that began to truly take form during the 1960’s, which in its own turn spawned and entire social movement that many still subscribe to presently. The Arms race of the 1950’s did much more than began technological inspiration, it created an entirely new set of social concerns for both the Soviet Union and the United States. In the United States, society began to demonize the rival and imagined specter of the Soviet Union to the point that the word communism became a foul utterance. In America, the land of the red white and blue, the term ‘Red’ became synonymous with a person that supported the ideology behind the Soviet leadership. The paranoid and utterly useless nature of the uneducated attacks upon most innocent people culminated in many political and social spectacles as the McCarthy trials. It was the mentality the, small minded ideology, allowed by fear to drive the entire nation into a frenzy of activity. Not always idyllic, the Cold War Arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union did serve to produce the incentive for both nations to push themselves to ever further heights both culturally and politically3. It is a compelling example of real world economics reflected, when in the end, the Soviet Union dissolved and collapsed while the American way of life continues to thrive. The political and cultural impact of the Space Race Alongside and firmly intertwined with the Arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union is the race to claim Space4. It was a mixture of national pride, determination, fear and jealously that the other country would get the high ground, spurred the tremendous advances in the area of space exploration. With both nations frantic not to lose the military or technological edge to their rival the need to claim the upper hand in the race to space was symbolic of everything that the two countries struggled for. The Space race brought out the need to innovate and design for a previously unknown environment. In very many instances the Space Race brought out the best in both of the cultures as astronauts and cosmonauts became national treasures and celebrities. The need to control the skies above began with launch of unmanned satellites and many manned capsules testing the upper limits of humanities ability to push their limits. It was this need for education that drove both nations to spend lavishly on upgrading their national infrastructure, recognizing that the next generation needed to be grounded in education and knowledge5. To advance to the next step, much like satellites to manned rockets, there must be a accumulation and application of knowledge. Standing alongside both the effort to educate and the arm the nations of America and the Soviet Union was the previously silent environmental movement6. With the improvement in technology, the ability to gauge the harm that humanity was having on the planet was brought into stark focus by the first environmental campaigns coopting one of the initial photos of Earth for their very own symbol. The social consequence behind the formation of the first national environmental movement still accounts for a tremendous amount of the political strife alive and well in the capital of both nations and across the face of the world. The Space Race served to galvanize a nation held in the grip of the still unknown fear of the nuclear bomb. By relieving the tensions of both societies and understanding that every advance was a national triumph, the space program brought the countries together. In a time of many unknowns the positive impact of the space race still shines like a beacon of the age. Was the impact of the 1950‘s truly that pivotal? With so much impact ascribed to the 1950’s there has been many different takes on why the United States acted how it did. According to Halliwell7 in his ‘American Culture in the 1950’s’ he compiles many instances where many thought the Americans acted stupidly and out of a culture of fear and degradation. Common among the quoted voices in his text, Halliwell, goes on to describe the decade of the fifties as a ‘tranquilized’ era. In it is his argument that anything of consequence was achieved through less than honorable methods. While his argument holds weight, it strikes the reader with a certain sense of doom and gloom. By ascribing every positive step forward to a negative, the ability to taint any good work will emerge. In Conclusion Taking the time to examine every facet of an argument is crucial when attempting to assess the impact of any one event. The long lasting effects of both the Arms Race and the Space Race of the fifties, serves to illustrate just how much a nation, or a pair of nations, can accomplish given the correct incentive. Truly the implications of the decade are still developing well into the next millennium8. Militarily, both the United States and the now defunct Soviet Union, now Russia, have gained such a tremendous amount o knowledge concerning their respective art that the need for shield beating has given way to an atmosphere of scientific cooperation. By realizing the advances that the nations could have by working together has served to propel both of the super powers to new and previously unimagined heights. The race to Space has given way to joint collaborative efforts that are still bearing fruit, both politically, socially and scientifically to this very day. By working together on projects such as the Space Station the countries have defray the cost of such exploration and continued their own respective march to knowledge. Focusing on the presented findings can only lead to the realization that the space race and the arms race of the Cold War, fought aggressively by both the United States and the Soviet Union were productive in a defining manner. It took the fear to inspire a population to work together against a common enemy towards a common, national goal. This may not have been the sole path to such a end, but there is rarely a perfect road as any culture struggles to grow. By taking the fruit of the war machine and using it to power our engines of progress, both socially and politically we have capitalized on the hard work and sacrifice of the generations that have gone before us. It takes diligent effort and continuing determination to hand the same opportunity to the next generation. Taken together it is hard to deny that the long lasting and far reaching effects of both the Arms Race with the Soviet Union and the Race to conquer Space. The technological advancements continue to deliver benefits today and the social changes drive many initiatives every election. The 1950’s will mark the end on one journey in the closure of the Second World War and the dissolution of the Allies, and the beginning of a new road featuring a new competitor and foe in the form of the Soviet Union. By learning from the social and political lessons of the 50’s we will be able to better understand how the world developed and turned into the culture we live in today. Bibliography Anonymous. "Space Exploration." History.com, http://www.history.com/topics/space. Bilstien, Rogere. Orders of Magnitude: A History of the Naca and Nasa, 1915-1990. Washington DC: CSA Illumina, 2010. Greene, Nick. "Sputnik 1: First Artificial Satellite in Space." Ask.com, http://space.about.com/cs/history/a/sputnik1.htm. Halliwell, Martin. Amercian Culture in the 1950s. Third ed. Edinburgh: Servis Fimsetting Ltd., 2007. Launius, Roger. Frontiers of Space Exploration. Second ed: Greenwood Press, 2004. Marshall, M. "Huntsville and the Space Program in the 1950s." http://history.msfc.nasa.gov/milestones/chpt2.pdf. NASA. "National Aeronautics and Space Administration Timeline." http://www.nasa.gov/50th/timeline.html. Parson, Ellen. "The 1950s (1950-1959)." EC&M, 2001. Read More