THE CAPITALIST VERSUS COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA DURING THE COLD WAR

Abstract

This article examines the differences between the Capitalist and the Communist propaganda and indoctrination carried out during the early Cold War period. The Capitalist is represented by the United States of America and Britain, while the Communist is represented by the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China. They confronted each other with series of propaganda to belittle each other and simultaneously strengthen their own positions in the domestic and international politics. In this article, two major distinguishable traits of propaganda are the propaganda of ideology and the propaganda of personality. This article also discusses briefly the background of the propaganda in both sides. Later, it presents some illustrative examples to provide a lucid comprehension regarding the subjects. This article concludes that the Communist had more tendencies in mobilising the propaganda of personality compared to the Capitalist. This article is based mainly on sources from newspapers, online sources including declassified official documents and correspondences, journals, and books.