Know Your Communist Enemy International Communism: its Teachings, Aims, and Methods

“The basic aim of international communism is to enable Soviet rulers to control the world.” – pg. 15

This interesting political booklet was designed by the Department of Defense’s’ Office of Armed Forces Information and Education and published by the Government Printing Office in 1954. In addition to being sold to the public for a dime, the volume was also distributed free of charge to members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The contents emphasize the threat of international communism to the democratic way of life (note the evil octopus on the cover) and seek to educate the audience on the insidious methods of overseas indoctrination. A decidedly Western perspective of Communism’s history, major leaders, and reasons for success is accompanied by captioned black and white photographs and a global map of the party affiliates. The final page presents a cartoonish “Pattern of Aggression in Every European Nation Taken Over by Communists” in which an inevitable progression of events outlines the development of the Soviet Bloc.