Causes of McCarthyism

A cause is in 1949…

China became a communist state

a cause is the USSR & the USA began to..

distrust each other after WW2 communism became the enemy instead of Nazism

a cause is McCarthy…

had a list of 205 names & said that the US gov was riddled with communists - especially the state department

a cause is spy…

rings were uncovered in the years after WW2

a cause is the USSR…

exploded a bomb a few years before estimated - questions on how they achieved this technological leap

A cause is in 1947…

HUAC had investigated communists in Hollywood & found evidence of communist sympathisers

a consequence is republican politicians could…

portray their Democratic rivals of being soft on communism

a consequence is Richard Nixon…

gains from McCarthyism and eventually runs as Eisenhower’s Vice President in the 1952 Presidential election

a consequence is McCarty was eventually…

censured in the senate

a consequence is McCarthy goes too far & …

denounces army leaders and leading republicans

a consequence is the spirit of McCarthyism…

stains America for decades

a consequence is hundreds if not thousands of people’s lives…

were ruined by allegations of communism sympathy

a consequence is Eisenhower needs…

the McCarthy right wing to get him elected

a consequence is McCarthy’s trials are televised and…

he is exposed as a liar with no evidence

a consequence is journalists such as…

Walter Lippmann begin to criticise McCarthy

a consequence is McCarthy lost…

chairmanship of the Government Committee on Operations of the Senate