Academic Review

 

Historical Studies (Chinese Edition)

No.5, 2018

 

Beyond Cold War History: A New Trend in Research on US Propaganda and the Cold War (Abstract)

 

Zhai Tao

 

Early studies of the history of Cold War propaganda basically saw US propaganda of the time as a Cold War product that originated in and served the Cold War. With the advent of the 21st century, there has been a tendency for research to “go beyond Cold War history,” as scholars try to explore the origins of Cold War propaganda in the pre-Cold War era and look at factors that lie outside Cold War logic and historical mechanisms. They believe that whether it be Cold War propaganda ideas, measures and media or institution building and work ethic, or even historical role and status, such propaganda contains a great many pre-Cold War elements and a logic that differs from that of Cold War politics. Therefore, research should start from an overall perspective on the 20th century. This trend reflects the return of the “longue durée” in historical research and a renewed approach to the study of foreign propaganda.