The Korean War and McCarthyism

The Cold War and the Korean War

• Reckless charges during McCarthyism damaged lives and created a climate of suspicion.

• The Korean War and brinksmanship by Mao Zedong led to a far-reaching form of anticommunism.

  • The fall of the Nationalist government in China to Communists in 1949 heightened American fear of communism.

  • Events in Korea, with North Korean forces crossing the 38th parallel, contributed to the fear.

One American's Story

• John Stewart Service, a China expert, faced consequences of postwar anticommunism.

• Service's warnings about China's Nationalist Party were ignored, leading to blame for the loss of China to Communists.

• Loyalty board cleared him of disloyalty charges, but he lost his job, reflecting the fate of many innocent Americans.

Origins of the Korean War

• Communists defeating anticommunist Nationalists in China in 1949 set the stage for the Korean War.

• Korea divided along the 38th parallel, with North Korea under Communist rule and South Korea supported by the US.

• North Korean forces crossed into South Korea in June 1950, leading to the Korean War as a test case for Truman's containment policy.

Fighting Breaks Out in Korea

• President Truman viewed Korea as a test for containment and appealed to the UN for support.

• General MacArthur's strategic landing at Inchon reversed the situation, pushing North Koreans back.

• UN forces pushed northward beyond the 38th parallel, leading to Chinese entry into the conflict.

China Enters the Conflict

• Chinese Communist troops entered the war, pushing UN forces back to the 38th parallel.

• MacArthur's desire to blockade China's coast and bomb China led to his dismissal by Truman.

• Truman's decision to fire MacArthur upheld civilian control of the military.

War Ends in Stalemate

• Truman accepted truce talks in 1951, which continued through the 1952 presidential campaign.

• Eisenhower, elected in 1952, sought a speedy end to the war and agreed to a compromise.

• A cease-fire in July 1953 left the two Koreas near the 38th parallel, containing communism but frustrating Americans.

Page 4: McCarthy and Communism

• Joseph McCarthy, a Republican senator, exploited fears of communism during the Korean War.

  • Claimed to have a list of 205 State Department officials who were Communists.

  • These charges were never proven but led to a hunt for Communists, ruining many careers.

• Term McCarthyism became synonymous with baseless accusations against innocent individuals.

• Senate hearings in 1954 exposed McCarthy's conduct, leading to his censure and decline in public influence.

Eisenhower and the Cold War

• President Eisenhower continued the Cold War, with Secretary of State John Foster Dulles advocating a more aggressive approach than Truman's containment policy.

  • Dulles promoted overthrowing Communist governments and brinksmanship.

• Arms race intensified after the Soviet Union developed an atomic bomb in 1949, leading to the US creating the hydrogen bomb in 1952.

• Both superpowers built up nuclear stockpiles, influencing global events like the CIA's interventions in Iran and Guatemala to counter perceived communist threats.

Page 5: Suez Canal Conflict and Space Race

• The Suez Canal crisis in 1956 highlighted Cold War tensions, with Egypt seizing the canal leading to conflicts involving France, Britain, Israel, and the Soviet Union.

• The space race began in 1957 when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, sparking US efforts to catch up in space technology.

  • American scientists improved rocket technology and launched their satellite.

• Tensions between the US and the Soviet Union escalated, with a U-2 spy plane incident in 1960 derailing face-to-face talks between Eisenhower and Khrushchev.

Assessment and Activities

• Assessment tasks include identifying key terms, creating timelines of events like the Korean War, and analyzing the significance of McCarthyism and Eisenhower's Cold War strategies.

• Activity options involve researching