The birth of post-war U.S. government propaganda: The Truman administration and its ideological struggle with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

The Problem. The birth of post-World War II U.S. government propaganda was a turning point in U.S. foreign policy. It came at a time when the United States had to act to protect itself against a possible nuclear war with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). In a post-war political climate, the actions of the USSR to promote communism and to dominate many areas around the world politically and economically were ominous to the United States. In response, the United States used propaganda and diplomacy to contain Soviet expansion, walking a line between self-defense against Soviet propaganda and efforts to challenge the USSR in an ideological battle. Since both the United States and the Soviet Union had nuclear arms, they realized that the stakes were extremely high. With propaganda as a key weapon, the Americans and the Soviets fought for political and economic advantages in Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East.;This thesis investigates how the Truman administration used propaganda as a foreign policy instrument against the Soviet Union during the early Cold War. Secondary sources were used to examine the evolution of U.S. propaganda (1750--1900); the historical background of U.S.-Soviet relations (1918--1948) leading up to the beginning of the Cold War; the key messages of U.S. government propaganda during World War II; the Truman Administration's propaganda agenda, organization and dissemination (1945--1953); and twenty-first century challenges to the relevance of the Truman administration's public diplomacy. This thesis suggests that strategic propaganda was important in defending U.S. interests and that the institutions and programs launched during Truman's presidency helped ensure the ascendancy of the United States' democratic values over the communist ideology of the Soviet Union.;The Procedure. The first chapter discusses the etymology of propaganda and its subsequent evolution as a tool for dissemination of political beliefs and influence in the context of warfare. The second chapter examines U.S.--Russian relations in World War I and the effect of propaganda as a tool for advancing U.S. foreign policy under Woodrow Wilson. The third chapter explores the propaganda initiatives, agenda, organization and dissemination of the Truman administration during the involvement of the United States in World War II. Finally, the fourth chapter summarizes Truman's efforts in cementing the institutions and programs that shaped U.S. foreign policy and public diplomacy during the Cold War.;Results Obtained and Conclusion. Through its propaganda initiatives, the Truman administration laid the foundations for the ideological struggle against the Soviet Union during the Cold War --- a war which, more than any other in the twentieth century, was fought in order to to win over hearts and minds worldwide.