City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 2-2014 For Right and Might: The Militarization of the Cold War and the Remaking of American Democracy Michael Brenes Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/17 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] FOR RIGHT AND MIGHT: THE MILITARIZATION OF THE COLD WAR AND THE REMAKING OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY By MICHAEL BRENES A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2014 ii © 2014 MICHAEL BRENES All Rights Reserved iii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in History in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Robert David Johnson, Ph.D. _______________________ _______________________________________________ Date Chair of Examining Committee Helena Rosenblatt, Ph.D. _______________________ _______________________________________________ Date Executive Officer Joshua Freeman, Ph.D. David Nasaw, Ph.D. Kimberly Phillips-Fein, Ph.D. Jonathan Rosenberg, Ph.D. Supervisory Committee THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iv Abstract FOR RIGHT AND MIGHT: THE MILITARIZATION OF THE COLD WAR AND THE REMAKING OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY By Michael Brenes Adviser: Professor Robert David Johnson This dissertation examines how Cold War defense spending shaped the evolution of American political culture and public policy from the 1940s until the 1990s. It argues that the Cold War economy contributed to the realignment of American politics in the postwar era. The fight against global communism abroad altered the structure, purpose, and public perception of the federal government following World War II, but also subsidized corporations, suburban communities, and individuals affected by defense spending. The militarization of the Cold War therefore created various dependents of America’s military and defense apparatus that continuously pressed for more defense spending during the Cold War, even if increases in the military budget were strategically and economically gratuitous. Americans in communities dependent upon defense contractors for employment and economic growth lobbied their political representatives to allocate more defense contracts to their towns, while defense companies and contractors formed alliances with activists, politicians, defense workers, and labor unions to ensure their profitability in the face of cuts to the defense budget. The combination of these forces created a unique “Cold War coalition” that worked to keep the defense economy active in shaping the domestic and foreign policies of the United States. v As the constitutive elements of the defense economy were threatened with defense cuts and a thaw in the Cold War after the 1960s, they increasingly gravitated toward political figures and officials who promised continued defense spending. After the economic crisis of the 1970s, residents of such “Cold War communities” saw job losses to inflation and stagnation, but also to a drawdown in the Vietnam War and the era of détente. By the end of the Cold War, communities reliant upon the Department of Defense for employment supported “conservative” proposals for the reduction of federal taxes and government influence in regulating local economies, while also campaigning for additional federal defense contracts to keep local economies afloat. By exploring the realignment of American politics through the context of global events—and their impact on local politics—this dissertation considers how the personal livelihoods and political prejudices of Americans shaped both national politics and foreign affairs. vi Acknowledgements I wrote this dissertation in libraries, living rooms, hotel rooms, coffee shops, train stations, airport lounges, and at home, but the writing stage was the only aspect of the dissertation process that I completed alone. Since I am the sole author of this work, any shortcomings fall on my shoulders, but its completion would not have occurred without the professional and personal support from so many people. It is a pleasure to thank them. I must first thank Jonathan Rosenberg for his guidance and assistance over the years. I was an eager undergraduate student when I walked into his office in 2006 and said I wanted to earn a PhD in history. Jon informed me of the reasons not to pursue this endeavor, and when I ignored his caveats, he supported my decision and took me under his wing, helping me get into graduate school and encouraging my progress throughout. When this dissertation was at the proposal stage, he commented that it was ultimately about “the state,” a phrase that remained in the back of my mind as I conducted research and committed my ideas to paper. There is no conceivable way I can completely thank him for the many revisions to my work, letters of recommendation, conversations on how to navigate the world of academia, and most important of all, his time and attention. It is a great pleasure to call him my mentor, friend, and now, colleague. My dissertation adviser, Robert David “KC” Johnson, provided sage advice during the researching and writing of the dissertation, and prevented me from making some very egregious errors. KC encouraged me to probe deeper with my arguments and provide more evidence for my assertions, making sure I weighed all viewpoints before making my conclusions. Kim Phillips-Fein went beyond her responsibilities as a member of the dissertation committee, taking vii time to read early drafts of chapters as well as write a letter of recommendation for me. The other members of my dissertation committee, Jon Rosenberg, David Nasaw, and Joshua Freeman provided important insights during the dissertation defense that helped me rethink some of my arguments. Other professors at the Graduate Center have also shaped my graduate education. Judith Stein, James Oakes, and Andrew Robertson have all left their imprint on this project. In his dissertation seminar, Thomas Kessner disabused me of my initial premises on how to write American political history. I resisted his suggestions at first, but when I gave in, the decision freed me from certain analytical boundaries, allowing me to hone my arguments. Other scholars outside of the Graduate Center read portions of this dissertation as conference presentations. For their comments and suggestions, I thank Jennifer Delton, Jason Friedman, David Farber, Andrew Preston, and Julian Zelizer. Laura Jane Gifford and Dan Williams gave me the opportunity to publish portions of Chapter Two in their edited collection on conservatism in the 1960s, and offered invaluable criticism on my submission. Every historian knows that archivists are their lifeline. For their ability to uncover valuable sources, archivists at the Bentley Historical Library, the Hagley Museum and Library, the Hoover Institution on War, Peace, and Revolution, the Library of Congress, the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, and the Harry S. Truman Library deserve special mention. On the last day of my research at the Gerald Ford Presidential Library, Jeremy Schmidt pointed me toward some documents that helped significantly in the development of the fourth chapter. He also shared with me his research on the Helsinki Accords and sent me links to documents from the Ford Library archived online. Archivists at the Special Collections at the University of Washington viii granted me access to the only classified box left in the Henry Jackson Papers. I also would not have seen important archival collections without the permission of several individuals. Christopher Buckley let me research his father’s papers at Yale, while the family members of Paul H. Nitze gave me permission to use his papers at the Library of Congress. The late William Rusher also granted me access to his papers at the Library of Congress before he passed away. The research for this project took me into many parts of the “Gunbelt.” I would not have been able to make these trips without the gracious and generous financial assistance from the John Anson Kittredge Fund, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, the Harry S. Truman Library Institute, the Bentley Historical Library, and the City University of New York. A grant from the Robert A. Divine Travel Fund from the Society of Historians of American Foreign Relations allowed me to present some of this dissertation’s findings at their annual conference. I must especially thank the Executive Director of the Graduate Center’s History Department, Helena Rosenblatt, who found funds deep within the recesses of the History Department budget to provide me with a fellowship at a very crucial time in my life. For much of my graduate career, I taught courses in U.S. history at Hunter College. Teaching at Hunter was a profound experience that deeply shaped my approach to thinking about and teaching U.S. history. Jon Rosenberg, Donna Haverty-Stacke, Benjamin Hett, and Rick Belsky allowed me to be their teaching assistants my first years in graduate school and tutored me in the joys and pitfalls of undergraduate teaching. Barbara Welter (along with Josh Freeman) gave me a teaching fellowship at Hunter my second year in graduate school which helped pay the bills. I knew the CUNY Graduate Center was an excellent academic institution when I joined its student body, but I did not know it was a place where I would meet lifelong friends. For their ix camaraderie, feedback, and encouragement, I thank my CUNY history cohorts, Rachel Burstein, Brendan Cooper, Tim Keogh, Mariel Isaacson, Joe Murphy, Paul Polgar, and Vanessa Burrows. Rachel and her husband Jeremy also let me stay with them for a few days in Ann Arbor when I conducted research at the Gerald Ford Library.