Propaganda and the Youth

The 1951 Children’s Crusade Against Communism bubblegum cards are a great example of how propaganda was used to convey a powerful message to a younger audience: the cards accompany bubblegums, a product that was purchased by many school children. It uses cartoon depictionsand bright colours to attract them. The text and pictures were easy to read and understand, ensuring that the children understood the message.

Propaganda and Education in the US

In 1952 the American Pledge of Allegiance which was chanted by schoolchildren was changed  to include the words “under God”. Many American students were also subject to ‘social hygiene’ or ‘mental health’ films in high school. These 10-20 minute movies focused on what might now be called ‘personal development': hygiene, manners, respect for others, appropriate behaviour and sexual conduct. Many examples contained an obvious political message or subtext, such as one titled How to Spot a Communist. There were also the ubiquitous instructions and ‘duck and cover’ drills to show what to do in the event of a nuclear attack. 

Source: The History of Media Use for Propaganda Purposes

An important goal of Communist propaganda was to create a new man. 

One theorist stated:

We must make the young into a generation of Communists. Children, like soft wax, are very malleable and they should be moulded into good Communists... We must rescue children from the harmful influence of the family... We must nationalize them. From the earliest days of their little lives, they must find themselves under the beneficent influence of Communist schools... To oblige the mother to give give her child to the Soviet state - that is our task."

The picture on the left is a picture of the Young Pioneers. The Young Pioneers were a youth organization and were used to indoctrinate children. They were uncompromising in fighting the enemies of socialism. 

Film and Television

“ President Merkin Muffley: I will not go down in history as the greatest mass-murderer since Adolf Hitler.

General Turgidson: Perhaps it might be better, Mr. President, if you were more concerned with the American People than with your image in the history books.”
– Dr. Strangelove (1964), Stanley Kubrick

Hollywood dealt with the theme of American paranoia during the Cold War period, and storylines often consisted of anyone – husband, son, or daughter – could be a Communist. For example, in films like My Son John (1952), families are broken up because of one member's brainwashed and irrational behavior as a result of an alliance with the Communists. around the idea that anyone – your husband, your son, your daughter, etc. – could turn into a Communist. In films such as My Son John (1952), families are broken up by one member’s allegedly brainwashed behavior of allying with the Communists. Movies become a tool to portray the devastating effects of communism, and how a traditional American family may be destroyed as a result of the threat.