Did 50s/60s Soviet culture have a similar nuclear war fear culture as the US?

[Maq]

Anyway I was wondering if Soviet or more specifically Russian culture from the 50s/60s had similar issues dealing with the new reality or did the closed nature of Soviet society make it easier for the government to keep those fears at bay?

I can't speak for Russians, but let me share my own experience dating to late 60s/70s/80s in Czechoslovakia.
The official propaganda (directed from Moscow) tried hard to create a feeling of imminent danger of nuclear war. But we have developed ability to perceive clearly not WHAT they said, but WHY they did so. Obviously, the bolsheviks were trying to persuade us that we need communism and 'friendship' with the USSR, otherwise we'd get steamrolled and subjugated by American imperialists.
As for my generation, I can say that we remained quite intact and resilient to the propaganda, and among ourselves, secretly and in privacy only, we agreed that we wished nothing more but to get 'occupied' by those evil imperialists, and the desperately hated Russians would be kicked back to their own, well-deserved wasteland.
So, those were our sentiments in Czechoslovakia. Incidentally, I happened to live in a city with huge Russian garrison, and the encounters with Russians were often absurd, ocassionally tragic, many times funny, but never friendly ones. All in all, together with compulsory lectures of Russian language and literature at school, it helped in developing very good understanding of who Russians truly are.

 

[Health]

Oh, how did I completely forget this video last time around. Probably due to the fact that it falls into the 80s period.

 

[Droom]

it helped in developing very good understanding of who Russians truly are.

Don't tell me, caricatured evil commie scum who go around enslaving others for the fun of it?

Ugh, why does everyone hate us... I mean sure, we occupied the territories of Eastern Europe. We should have just sat around and let the Nazis have them.

 

[Graf Zeppelin]

Don't tell me, caricatured evil commie scum who go around enslaving others for the fun of it?

As a German and eternal Nazi I share your burden.

 

[Graf Zeppelin]

All in all, together with compulsory lectures of Russian language and literature at school, it helped in developing very good understanding of who Russians truly are.

 

[Enravota]

As a German and eternal Nazi I share your burden.

The Tantalus' pains of modernity, both

 

[Maq]

Don't tell me, caricatured evil commie scum who go around enslaving others for the fun of it?

Ugh, why does everyone hate us... I mean sure, we occupied the territories of Eastern Europe. We should have just sat around and let the Nazis have them.

I don't get your Russian logic: Before 1945, you occupied only Baltic states, and after 1945, there were no Nazis around.
So WHEN exactly your presence prevented Nazi occupation?

 

[Droom]

I don't get your Russian logic: Before 1945, you occupied only Baltic states, and after 1945, there were no Nazis around.
So WHEN exactly your presence prevented Nazi occupation?

Actually it's quite simple. If the Nazi's never declared war on Russia, they would have been able to take over all most of Europe, fortifying their hold on the area and fighting against the Brits. Remember, the Brits wouldn't have been able to fight back and invade without the US, who could only do so thanks to the massive casualties caused by the Red Army. The eastern front tied up massive amounts of German divisions.

As a German and eternal Nazi I share your burden.

You're a Nazi?

Do you hate Jews, Blacks and communists?

Also, dude I'm a Russian. If you are a Nazi, don't forget what Hitlerite Germany did to the Russians. Remember that plan to starve us all and exterminate the Slavic people?

 

[Maq]

Actually it's quite simple. If the Nazi's never declared war on Russia, they would have been able to take over all most of Europe, fortifying their hold on the area and fighting against the Brits. Remember, the Brits wouldn't have been able to fight back and invade without the US, who could only do so thanks to the massive casualties caused by the Red Army. The eastern front tied up massive amounts of German divisions.

Perhaps. [Though personally, I have no doubts the U.S. would finish Hitler anyway.]
But that's not the point. After Nazis were defeated, why you did not leave from Poland and the Baltic states? Whom against whom did you protect in 1956 in Hungary, in 1968 in Czechoslovakia, in 1979 in Afghanistan?

 

[wingo]

Simple. Buffer states against the West. The death and destruction brought by Germany was so great it left deep psychological scars in everyone. Viewed in this light, it makes sense they went to great lengths whatever the costs gaining and maintaining buffer and client states, but always backing away from full war when threatened (Korea, Vietnam, Cuba...). Of course, this is not an apology, merely a reason.

 

[Herbert West]

Thing is, there is no reason to excuse classical imperialist protection of the core with standard "WWII changed everything" apologetics.

 

[Maq]

Simple. Buffer states against the West. The death and destruction brought by Germany was so great it left deep psychological scars in everyone. Viewed in this light, it makes sense they went to great lengths whatever the costs gaining and maintaining buffer and client states, but always backing away from full war when threatened (Korea, Vietnam, Cuba...). Of course, this is not an apology, merely a reason.

Of course it was (and still is) nothing but imperialism. But the Russians keep on kidding us as well as themselves that there was/is nothing bad in it, they protect(ed) us from threat posed by third party. THAT is most annoying.
Germans said clearly 'sorry', and after a while, we have forgiven and established friendly relations. But as long as Russians keep on denying the truth, we have no choice but to consider them persistent enemy of our freedom. What if they choose to 'protect' us from terrorism?
... and then @Droom asks the question "why does everyone hate us?"

 

[wingo]

I merely stated reason for "then", not now. Why do you think perestroika and the 1989 "revolutions" happened? People in power stopped being afraid of the West so much. Of course in the occupied/client countries there was always more sympathy for the West, but without change of heart in USSR, it would not happen, see all the failed attempts before 1989. Current Russia is scarred by a different thing, the wild years during Yeltsin, a sad chapter and a wasted opportunity to put Russia on a friendly path. Putin is seen as a better alternative than that anarchy... unfortunately Putin will not fix Russia`s underlying problems as he is dependent on it for his power.

 

[Graf Zeppelin]

You're a Nazi?

Do you hate Jews, Blacks and communists?

Also, dude I'm a Russian. If you are a Nazi, don't forget what Hitlerite Germany did to the Russians. Remember that plan to starve us all and exterminate the Slavic people?

Yeah look, I am aware that you are Russian and I tried to ......well YES I am a Nazi. I hate everyone, especially Jews, blacks and communists.

Phew now its out of my chest and I feel better.

 

[Droom]

Perhaps. [Though personally, I have no doubts the U.S. would finish Hitler anyway.]
But that's not the point. After Nazis were defeated, why you did not leave from Poland and the Baltic states? Whom against whom did you protect in 1956 in Hungary, in 1968 in Czechoslovakia, in 1979 in Afghanistan?

View attachment 199507

Of course you wouldn't, it's entirely reasonable that the US alone would be able to fight both the Japanese and the extra 176 divisions on the western front.

The US and British had such a hard time against 60 divisions... imagine a hundred more. Oh and keep in mind they would oil from Romania.

Because we were scared of a US and British invasion (remember Operation Unthinkable?), and other factors, like plans to rearm the Nazi's (yes, Churchill wanted to rearm the Nazis just to fight the Russians). Basically, Stalin was paranoid and his paranoia grew with negative signs from the west (atom bomb is another), so he decided to make a lot client states to deter a western invasion. The USSR never left them because they were scared of a Western invasion. They started democratizing when the US started to work towards peace.

Yeah look, I am aware that you are Russian and I tried to ......well YES I am a Nazi. I hate everyone, especially Jews, blacks and communists.

Phew now its out of my chest and I feel better.

...

Good for you... I guess.

 

[Konair0s]

Yeah look, I am aware that you are Russian and I tried to ......well YES I am a Nazi. I hate everyone, especially Jews, blacks and communists.

At least Germans are only Nazis...

Russians since now will be not only Communists, but also Putin supporters.

I already heard a version that Russia supports North Korea because it has the same variant of communism as Russia (sic!).

 

[Droom]

At least Germans are only Nazis...

Russians since now will be not only Communists, but also Putin supporters.

I already heard a version that Russia supports North Korea because it has the same variant of communism as Russia (sic!).

...

Is this... is this...

You win my award for dumbest American of the week. Cause only a stir fry crazy MURRICA gun nut would actually believe that all Russians are still communist.

 

[Konair0s]

Oh, come on. Here it should be obvious.

...

Is this... is this...

You win my award for dumbest American of the week. Cause only a stir fry crazy MURRICA gun nut would actually believe that all Russians are still communist.

Spoiler

Это был сарказм. И выше Граф Цеппелин тоже говорила с сарказмом. А ещё выше, что все продолжают считать немцев нацистами и что она понимает русских, которых продолжают считать коммунистами.

 

[Enravota]

Dat sarcasm detector... it doesn't work.

 

[Droom]

Oh, come on. Here it should've been obvious.

Spoiler

Это был сарказм. И выше Граф Цеппелин тоже говорила с сарказмом. А ещё выше, что все продолжают считать немцев нацистами и что она понимает русских, которых продолжают считать коммунистами.

Oh...

Oh...

My sarcasm detector is screwed up, five ways from hell.

So... he's not a nazi?

...

UGH!