By Alex Blake
The Cold War was a period lasting from around the end of WW2 in 1945 to when the USSR was dissolved in 1991(1). Although it is known as a "war," it is more an ideological disagreement between two superpowers on politics, agendas, etc. The USSR was in support of communism and a one-party state, while the US promoted individual freedoms and democracy. The early parts of the war regarded territorial expansions with various alliances and pacts being created among countries. The middle part of the war was characterized by heightened military attention. During this time, the arms race and ideas of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) were the topic of discussion. Both sides were increasing military capabilities at alarming rates, with the peak of military tensions being the Cuban Missile Crisis. After this time, by the 1970s and 1980s, smaller wars had broken out between allied countries, jacking up military spending for President Reagan. However, the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) happened soon after, which started a decrease in tensions. By the end of the 1980s, leadership in the USSR had shifted and Mikhail Gorbachev pushed for good relations with the US, ultimately ending conflict in the next years. Cold War propaganda was massive in pushing the agenda of both the US and the USSR. Public ads were made to scrutinize the opposing country, creating propaganda effective enough to incite fear in millions of Americans creating the "Red Scare." This made way for Senator Joseph McCarthy to gain power by accusing many powerful Americans of being communists, causing them to lose everything they had (2). In this exhibit, I will connect the Cold War to the 2024 show "Fallout." While the show takes place in 2296, the plotline is based on a war between communism and capitalism much like the Cold War. However, the war was primarily between the US and China, and it resulted in nuclear warfare to essentially end the world. The storyline follows three different people who survived an adventure through the post-apocalyptic wasteland. Each character has a far different background post-war, so we can see the mix of ideas and motives between characters. The show discusses themes of survival and human nature while displaying the impact of ongoing ideological conflict on human experience. Each of the primary sources displayed in my exhibit work together to relate the show to the Cold War. While some of my primary sources are directly related to the Cold War, others make theoretical connections that might be harder to recognize. This exhibit explores how the 2024 show "Fallout" relates to the Cold War and hypothesizes a different outcome to the war.