| While posters such as that shown above and below were common during the period, the nuclear threat conveyed to the Chinese by the government during the Cultural Revolution was primarily from the Soviets. Even though the border incidents did not develop into major conflicts, the threat remained. After the Cuban missile crisis in the United States there was a bomb shelter building frenzy in America that lasted through the 1960s. It is interesting that both the Americans and Chinese were digging in - preparing for a Soviet break in sanity.
The poster shows the PLA, People's Liberation Army, in the clouds with the American money grubbing capitalists waving money, missiles, and bombs - totally overpowered by the Chinese communist spirit and the Little Red Book.
At the same time that these posters were decorating the walls of China, Mao Zedong had initiated contact with the United States. Henry Kissinger made his first visit to Beijing in 1971 to meet with Zhou Enlai. Richard Nixon made his visit in 1972. The Chinese had declared their independence.
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