After
World War II ended in 1945, Great Britain was consumed with rebuilding its shaky society. For
five years, the country had been oriented toward the war effort and, although it was one of the
victorious countries, it had suffered tremendous damage from the German bombing. Much of London
was destroyed in the Blitz, and economic resources had all been dedicated to the war effort. The
British people were less concerned with global politics than the urgent matters of rebuilding
their own country.
Nevertheless, the country continued to expend scarce
resources in propping up the failing empire, and was forced to borrow extensively from the
United States. Churchill and his party were voted out in the Labour victory of 1945, although he
would be returned with the Conservatives in 1950. In 1946, he delivered what has become known as
the Iron Curtain Speech in Missouri, firmly establishing the idea of the Soviet sphere that
included direct control by Moscow.
The constant state of war that is evident
in , as countries shift allegiances and parts of them are swallowed up by
others, is not really reflective of British current affairs of the 1940s. Instead, as the Cold
War took hold, despite numerous flare-ups, global-scale conflicts were moderated. The internal
focus on rebuilding Britain included close attention to social programs, leading to the rise of
the welfare state.
One common factor between s beliefs and British policies
is the new emphasis on intelligence and propaganda. The MI5, British Intelligence, greatly
expanded during this era. Theof secrecy and suspicion, as espionage took precedence over
military exercises, connects well with Winstons activities in the Ministry of Truth. Britains
Information Research Department produced massive amounts of anti-Soviet propaganda, designed
"to pillory the Communist regime and display it as being ridiculous as well as cynical and
evil." Many of these efforts specifically targeted Joseph Stalin, the clear model for Big
Brother.
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