Essay Sample on The 1960s

The 1960s was a decade of social reckoning, changing world order, and political unrest that put young people at the front and reached all world segments. A multigenerational movement emerged to dismantle societal norms and shed light on current issues. People worldwide started to challenge the long-standing global power hierarchy, loosening the grip of imperial powers while elevating new contenders. Also, the idea of democracy and liberation spread to nations under oppressive regimes, with citizens demanding an end to authoritarian rule. The demand for change in societal norms, the push for change in the world power structure, and the insistence on democracy in oppressive regimes contributed to the social and political instability in the 1960s. Although the new focus on progressive social reforms and changing international order was significant, the global push for democratic political reform was the most significant as it transcended continental borders representing the power of civilians to affect their nation's governmental structure. 

Increasing societal awareness of discrimination and the massive mobilization to create change forced the public to reevaluate contemporary culture. In 1968 French student protestors in the 1968 "Adress to All Workers" (document 2) called out the capitalist ruling class for undermining democracy and called for the working class to take political and economic control back through organized union leadership. Targeting capitalism and providing a detailed plan of action mandated a reassessment of the western financial system creating division by ideology, adding to the distress of the 1960s. The 60s also spotlight unfair gender expectations, demonstrated by the 1968 "No More Miss America!" pamphlet that states the traditional American pageant embodies the submissive, uniformed, and dull stereotypes society assigns to women. This was significant as it accused an event that symbolized American culture as harmful to women's perception, sparking debate over women's representation in media and culture. This decade also saw the integration of politics into popular culture, shown by the 1968 song "Masters of War" (document 6). In the song, Bob Dylan criticizes the American government's involvement in the war, accusing leaders of building destructive weapons used to kill while hiding their motives. The mixing of politics and culture was vital. It forced ordinary citizens who were typically uninterested in world affairs into awareness, leading to an increase in civilian(especially youth) political participation and more willingness to criticize the country's actions causing national division. 

The increasing desire for independence among colonial states and the aspiration for many nations to separate themselves from the U.S's influence led to a pending global power balance. In Fidel Castro's 1961 "May Day Celebration Speech" (document 1), Castro declares Cuba's right to decide its form of government despite U.S disapproval reiterating that countries of all sizes have sovereignty that no other power can impede. Cuba's denouncement of U.S ideological influence represents the U.S's loss of ability to control surrounding nations and the emergence of governments not serving American interests leading to fear of future instability. The increasing disconnect of liberated countries from their previous imperial powers occasionally led to drastic measures shown in the 2001 "Belgium Commission Report" (document E) that states that Belgium bore responsibility for the events that killed Lumumba. The extreme measures former imperial powers were willing to take to maintain control in former colonies demonstrates the scale they relied on their territories for status and resources, meaning decolonization, which was rapidly developing in the 1960s, was bound to change the global hierarchy. The desire for separation from European control was also strong in Kenya. The Mau Mau rebellion was caused by a lack of representation and stolen land, demonstrating Britain's lack of control over its empire. As more nations gained independence, other territories realized traditional empires no longer could dominate their conquest, giving them the confidence to launch their independence fight. 

As political ideologies transcended national borders, civilians under totalitarian rule began to demand the type of freedoms enjoyed by others, proving an obstacle to order in authoritarian regimes. The Hungarian revolution of 1965 where thousands of revolters took to the streets demanding an end to the Soviet Union's absolute grip on power while advocating for a democratic government, showed the unwillingness of people to leave national management to the ruling class. Although the revolution was brutally suppressed, Hungary's protest revealed the incohesivness of the Eastern Bloc to the world, and the courage protestors displayed inspired future revolts in the 1960s. This demand for democracy continued with Czechoslovakia's stand against the Soviet Union's dictatorial nature during the Prague uprising, with Alexander Dubcek demanding protected free speech, the right of people to choose their careers, and ordering new people-lead democratic leadership in the 1968 "Communisim with a Human Face" (document 3). This mandate for civil liberties such as free speech illustrates the global reach of democratic ideology. At the same time, the demand for citizen-led government represents the growing involvement/interest of civilians in leadership. As people were beginning to question one-party regimes, authoritarian leaders attempted to regain control by removing any possible threats as well as indoctrination shown by Mao's 1966 "Cultural Revolution Poster" (document 4), which depicts a cohesive group of people with Mao's little red book, pushing the narrative Mao's ideology leads to unity. Mao's need for propaganda to foster support for his decisions backed up by violent purification demonstrates distrust between the government and the people symbolizing growing scrutiny of officials by their subjects. 

The 1960s were a decade where the world was forced to confront deep-seated societal injustices, and the ruling class had to reckon with growing civic awareness and involvement in politics. A cross-generational movement rose demanding change in societal expectations, while the fusion of culture and politics brought a wider group of civilians into state affairs. The demand for independence in the colonial world took off, and many emerging nations separated themselves from U.S influence economically/politically, causing uncertainty in power dynamics. Lastly, revolt against undemocratic regimes turned into a global movement against oppression, revealing the ruling class's loss of control and civilians’ new governmental influence. The insistence on ending the current societal expectations, the ultimatum for a new global power hierarchy, and the push for democracy in repressive regions lead to the political and social instability of the 1960s. Even though the attention on civil reform and the emergence of a new global power system was essential, the international demand to end the oppressive government was the most significant as it was a truly global movement involving nations across continents and citizen's newfound involvement in politics meant citizens could influence state affairs.