US politics and the Cultural Cold War

In the early decades of the Cold War, the US had to face the inconvenient truth that it is impossible to defeat the Soviets using the traditional means of war. Propaganda, culture, and education became the tools of this new „softer” approach to strengthen unity of the american population and to win influence on both sides of the divided-Europe. Institutionally, via private foundations like the USIA and the CCF, with the invisible support of the CIA and FBI, the U.S. was able to support the birth of many influential educational and cultural products on both sides of the Atlantics. Eventually the strength and the focus of these programs had to change dramatically from the 1960’s, due elemental changes in world politics and in public opinion.