American Militarism and Anti-Militarism in Popular Media, 1945-1970

Although scholars characterize the early decades of the Cold War as an era of rising militarism in the United States, Americans during that time continued to identify themselves as fundamentally anti-militaristic. To them, ""militaristic"" defined the authoritative regimes of Germany and Japan that the nation had defeated in World War II--aggressive, power-hungry countries in which the military possessed power outside civilian authority. Much of the popular culture in the decades following World War II reflected and reinforced a more pacifist perception of America. This enlightening study explores military images in television, film, and comic books from 1945 to 1970 to understand how popular culture made it possible for a public to embrace more militaristic national security policies yet continue to perceive themselves as deeply anti-militaristic.