Even before the Cold War, Russia never really rubbed America the right way. The favored representation of Russia in 19th century political cartoons was the bear. Sometimes the bear was portrayed as a clumsy oaf who doesn't know his own strength; other times, the bear was a menacing predator. Russia as inept, and Russia as savage: these two tropes continued to characterize American representations of Russia throughout the 20th century, and still do today.
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