Propaganda played a big role during the Cold War. It affected how people and countries saw each other. Here are some important points about it:

1. Ideas in Conflict:

   • The United States pushed for democracy and capitalism.
   • On the other hand, the Soviet Union promoted communism.
   • This difference in ideas was shown through images and messages in media and books.

2. Measurable Effects:

   • During the "Red Scare" in the U.S., there was a lot of fear about communism.
   • This fear led to more than $1 billion spent on fighting against communism propaganda in the 1950s.
   • The Voice of America played over 1.5 million hours of programs in many languages to challenge Soviet messages.

3. Mental Strategies:

   • Some propaganda aimed to make people in enemy countries feel hopeless.
   • Reports suggest that U.S. propaganda helped lower trust in the Soviet government by 68% by the 1980s.

4. Cultural Impact:

   • Movies, books, and music were used to change what people thought.
   • Anti-Soviet films like "Dr. Strangelove" became very popular and important in culture.

Overall, propaganda made Cold War tensions stronger and influenced how people felt on both sides. It played a big part in the conflict between the two superpowers.