Throughout the Cold War the threat of atomic warfare was a daily fear. [BLANK-1] was a film produced in 1983 that dramatized the aftereffects of a nuclear war. The film renewed atomic anxieties after the period of détente had eased tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

By the 1950s, some intellectuals began referring to the United States as a [BLANK-1], due to its increasingly urban population, the prevalence of shared culture through media, film, and television, growing affluence, and increased access to consumer goods. Most Americans attempted to conform to a specific idea of what an American should be and should do. Some youths bemoaned this conformity, sought alternative options to popular culture, and yearned for something beyond the affluence and comfort of their lives.

With the innovation of the interstate highway in the mid-1950s, the temporal and class dimensions of vacation-travel changed. Vacations were now available to the lower- and middle-classes and instead of spending weeks or months on holiday, vacationers would typically spend only a few days. New resort-towns like Las Vegas capitalized on these changes and the spirit of freedom and choice that the interstate and automobiles offered. An advertising campaign for the El Rancho Casino in Las Vegas promised [BLANK-1]. It invited family vacationers to imagine themselves as having the freedom of frontier explorers.

The 1950s saw increased concerns with sexuality and the American family. One perceived threat to the American family was the periodical, [BLANK-1], which was first published in 1953. It was targeted toward men and most Americans claimed it was lurid; however, it managed to attract a large readership.

Instructions: Your essay should have an introduction with a clear and specific thesis, a body with evidence, and a conclusion that reinforces your central argument. Select the option you feel the most comfortable with and answer it to the best of your ability.Choose ONE (1) of the following options:In what ways did the Holocaust help to shape the United States and Europe during the second-half of the twentieth century?  Why did the research presented by Stanley Milgram, Philip Zimbardo, and Hannah Arendt seem so alarming?  What does their research suggest about the Holocaust being a uniquely German phenomenon?Why did parents during the 1950s become increasingly concerned with juvenile delinquency?  What motivated those concerns?  What sources of entertainment, popular culture, or activities were seen as particularly threatening to the traditional American family?  What regulatory measures were taken to alleviate these threats?How did the construction of the interstate highway system fundamentally change American society? Who was responsible for the creation of this system? How did the automobile become the symbol of American freedom? How did large cities in the West differ from traditional cities due to the expansion of the interstate highway system and suburbanization? What businesses and industries were established (or greatly expanded) due to the interstate highway system? How did the interstate change leisure opportunities for Americans?

America’s eventual success in the Cold War can be partially attributed to American Soft Power. One example of soft power was the consumer choice offered in the United States vs. the Soviet Bloc. American cars of the 1950s and 1960s were stylish with large, powerful engines, and could be driven off the lot with credit. An example of these stylish and powerful American cars was [BLANK-1]. This car had a 345-horsepower V-8 engine and a max speed of 124 miles per hour. It came in a wide variety of colors, was often advertised alongside attractive female models, and could be acquired with no down-payment. Soviet bloc cars, by comparison, were slow, had small engines, were made of fiberglass, and required a wait of 6-8 years in order to attain the car. As Eastern Europeans became aware of the opulence and affluence of American society, their support for Soviet-style communism waned.

This question is necessary to make the exam worth 100 points.

One of Nazi Germany’s major motivations for war was an increased living space for the German Race known as [BLANK-1]. Hitler and German leaders viewed Eastern Europe as the perfect location for this living space.

Support for the Vietnam War declined when CBS journalists aired war footage of U.S. Marines burning the village of [BLANK-1] in 1965 with no regard for the lives of its occupants. The violence perpetrated against civilians by U.S. forces revealed a credibility gap between what was reported by official sources regarding the Vietnam War and the evident reality of the actual combat.

[BLANK-1] originated as a regional conflict, but quickly turned into a proxy war during the Cold War. It lasted from 1950-1953 and ended in a stalemate with little more than symbolic gains for either side. The northern belligerents initially gained the upper hand until an American and United Nations force landed at Inchon, and drove the troops back toward the Chinese border. At that point, Communist China invaded and pushed the American-led troops back to 38th parallel, where a fragile truce was signed.