How did the Cold War affect the growth of technology in the United States?
The Cold War that was ignited between the United States and the USSR after the Second World War has a considerable impact on the dramatic progress of science and technology. The end of WWII marked the rise of these two superpowers, that became threatened and suspicious of the motive of each other. That is, the USSR feared that the United States was leading a move towards imperialist expansion, while the latter was threatened of the possible expansion of communism by its former WWII ally.
Not wanting to be upstaged by the other, it was under this climate of suspicion and distrust that the USSR and the United States government each directed the state funding of technological studies for the research and development of more powerful military weapons. For instances, the US directed the exploration and development of “newly emerging technologies as a means of keeping ahead of, or at least keeping at bay, Soviet technological advances” (Bitzinger, 2009, 133).
The goal to have the most powerful military leads the superpowers to fund technological research, and this resulted in studies that promoted science and technology. The impact is not only the strengthening of military weaponry, but the promotion of other fields of study such as astronomical research, agriculture, medicine and computer science among others. For example, while the US funding for technological studies was largely directed towards military-related exploration, this also resulted in the creation of other research infrastructure such as the National Science Foundation. Eventually, this agency caused the spearheading of computer science studies in universities. The competition between the superpowers also resulted in an industrial competition that required the development of a more coordinated research.
Effects of McCarthyism
The intensification of the Cold war between the USSR and the United States resulted in the fear over the possible spread of communism. It was the US senator, Joseph McCarthy, who pointed about the threat that comes between the troubled relationship between the US and its former WWII ally, the USSR (Fitzgerald, 2007). McCarthy argued that his country was already in the verged of losing its fight against communism because of the presence of people in the government, whom he claimed to be supporters of communist ideology. His claim, leads to the ‘Red Scare’ which is the public’s fear of the perceived presence and threat from communists in the country.
The idea that the USSR has infiltrated the US government threatened the American government and the people, and they have reason to believe McCarthy on his allegation. This was because during the Cold War, the USSR was reported to have carried a dishonest espionage act against the United States. There are US citizens who aided in this espionage activities during WWII, thus the idea of possible continued connivance even after the world war. It was during the height of this suspicion that President Harry Truman called for the issuance of an order to check on the loyalty of federal employees, specifically to determine their full allegiance and loyalty to the government. The loyalty program marked was described as an unexpected move on the part of a government that claimed to promote liberty and freedom as one among its main advocacy. The crusade against anti-communism resulted in the implementation of extensive surveillance to check against possible infiltration by the communist groups.
References
Bitzinger, R. (2009). The modern defense industry: Political, economic, and technological issues. ABC-CLIO.
Fitzgerald, B. (2007). McCarthyism: The red scare. Capstone.
