Not Only Foreign Affairs: U.S. Department of State’ Cultural Policy During Cold War

Abstract

The article is devoted to the consideration of the existing activities of the US Department of State in matters of cultural policy. Attention is focused on the works of foreign and domestic researchers who devoted their work to the consideration of the essence of the cultural policy of the state, which is often called cultural or public diplomacy or soft power. It is indicated that these directions in the USA are carried out by the structural unit of the State Department – the Bureau of Education and Culture, and the history of its formation is described. The active period of cultural diplomacy in the USA falls at the end of World War II and the beginning of the ideological confrontation between the USA and the USSR, known as the Cold War. One of the active tools for cultural diplomacy has been the dissemination of television and radio broadcasting around the world. No less actively used exchange programs and visits of citizens of other countries, which were designed to promote mutual understanding, international, educational, and cultural exchange, as well as the development of leadership qualities of its participants. It is pointed out that US cultural diplomacy has reached its peak by incorporating jazz, culture, and literature into its arsenal. Keywords: USA, cultural diplomacy, Department of State, American literature, television and radio companies.