“Soviet propaganda claims that Americans are Liberating Korea to death and are planning on doing the same to Germany”
“Pax Americana” is a Soviet propaganda poster that aimed to promote anti-American sentiment during the Korean War. The messaging aimed to influence occupied Germans who the Soviets warned would be gobbled up by America’s imperialist machine.
The black and white illustration highlights a screaming American soldier baring his teeth. The soldier’s wild demeanor coupled with the carnage in the background suggests a dangerous and undisciplined opponent. A direct contrast to the squeaky clean, moral righteousness that America projected during the atomic age.
The poster criticized America’s behavior in Korea as shameless conquest. In the top right of the image, Pax Americana (“American Peace”, Latin)
The Soviet Union’s propaganda machine was well-versed in decades worth of doublespeak by the 1950’s – thus, “Pax Americana” is not only a strong example of the social chess match Russian’s were playing at the time with the west but also – its just dripping in sarcasm and irony. A catty cold war, if you will.
In the top left of the image a large ringing bell. The bell most obviously represents an alarm but there could also be a subtle reference to American war novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls. During the tale, an American gets involved in the Spanish Civil War despite lethal consequence.
The soldier grips an M1 Garland Semi-Automatic service rifle that was employed by the American military during World War II and the Korean War. A gas-operated mechanism and En-bloc clip system were groundbreaking advancements, demonstrating American innovation in firearms. The quick and powerful rifle was in service between 1938 and 1958, being replaced by the M14 in March of 1958.
Pax Americana has been divisive. At times, the expression has been used to help explain America’s domination over the world order since the mid-20th century. It conjures up images of a long stable peace, with the caveat that there will be no issues if other countries do not challenge the status quo.
The darker side derives negative annotations globally following an American-led global order preceding the conclusion of World War II. The image and the expression later ironically paint American leadership as imperial blood-thirsty expansionists.
In the background of the image, among all the carnage and destruction left in the wake of the soldier, two powerline utility poles penetrate the scorched landscape. Another example of American power at the time, the utility poles represent the technological advance that American intervention could export to a country but on the poster placed atop a pile of burning rubble behind the soldier, the poles now stand as isolated crucifixes overlooking the land. A sacrifice that could cost everything.
Perhaps most interesting is the source material for this example of Soviet propaganda in East Berlin. The image itself was sourced from a Department of State document titled, “Confuse and Control: Soviet Techniques in Germany“. The report itself is surprisingly prescient in cataloguing core Soviet strategies. Decades of state-directed education and censorship had given the USSR a formidable lead in the early years of the Cold War and the Kremlin continued the psychological assault on western allies and the democratic system in every hemisphere.
What do you see looking at these image? Feel free to bring up what I missed in the comments. Stay safe, stay aware.
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