Cold War women

The international activities of American women's organisations

Helen Laville

• Publisher: Manchester University Press
• Year: 2024
• eBook ISBN: 9781526183934
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

For too long, American women have been hidden in the history of the Cold War. In *Cold War women* Helen Laville recovers their significance by examining the activities and ambitions of American women's organisations in the long period of uneasy peace.After the Second World War, women around the globe claimed that to avoid more death and devastation in the Atomic Age, they must promote internationalism and strive together for a peaceful future. However, as the Cold War escalated, American women abandoned the internationalist outlook of their foreign sisters in favour of solidarity with their national brothers. Far from being advocates of internationalism, many of these women became active agents for Americanism.This fascinating study will be invaluable to those in the field of gender and women's history, cultural studies, and American history.

Table of contents

• Front matter
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• List of abbreviations
• Introduction
• 1 'No limit to what I can do': American women's voluntary associations
• 2 'The best possible showcase for freedom', American voluntary associations in the Cold War
• 3 'The recipe for American democracy': American women's associations in Germany
• 4 From international activists to Cold War warriors
• 5 'Positive peace': American women's response to the 'peace offensive'
• 6 World Organization of Mothers of All Nations
• 7 The Committee of Correspondence
• Conclusion
• Select bibliography
• Index