Copy of TOPIC 8.3 - THE SECOND RED SCARE

Topic 8.3: The Second Red Scare

  • Learning Objective: Explain the causes and effects of the Red Scare after World War II.

The Second Red Scare

  • Follow-up to WWII: Occurred after the U.S. victory in World War II.

  • Truman Administration's View: Saw a Communist conspiracy behind civil wars in Europe and Asia.

  • Belief in Infiltration: Contributed to widespread belief that Communist agents infiltrated American society, including the State Department and military.

Loyalty Review Board (1947)

  • Establishment: Set up under pressure from Republican critics to investigate federal employees.

  • Impact: Over 3 million federal employees investigated; thousands resigned or lost jobs.

  • Duration: Investigated from 1947 to 1951.

Legal Actions Against Communists

  • American Communist Party Leaders: Jailed for advocating the overthrow of the U.S. government (Dennis et al v. United States, 1951).

  • Supreme Court Decision: Upheld the Smith Act of 1940, making it illegal to advocate government overthrow.

McCarran International Security Act (1950)

  • Legislation Passed: Over Truman’s veto; made it illegal to support a totalitarian government.

  • Restrictions: Limited employment and travel for members of Communist-front organizations.

  • Detention Camps: Authorized creation for subversives.

Concentration Camps in America

  • Public Concern: Media depicted concentration camps for subversives, raising alarms about democracy's crisis.

  • Criticism: Seen as reminiscent of Nazi Germany's camps.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

  • Reactivation: Established in 1939, focusing on suspected Communists post-WWII.

  • Investigations: Looked into government officials, Boy Scouts, and Hollywood.

Hollywood Investigations

  • Investigations of the Film Industry: Actors, writers, and directors faced scrutiny; The Hollywood Ten refused to testify and were imprisoned.

Freedom of Expression Under Threat

  • Censorship: Targets included playwrights and others labeled anti-American.

  • Loyalty Oaths: Required for employment, leading to suppression of dissent.

  • Civil Liberties Groups: Argued against restrictions on free expression.

The Hiss Case

  • Major Players: Whittaker Chambers (communist witness), Richard Nixon (congressman), Alger Hiss (State Department official).

  • Outcome: Hiss was convicted of perjury in 1950.

The Rosenberg Case

  • Espionage: Klaus Fuchs admitted to leaking A-bomb secrets, leading to investigation of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.

  • Execution: The Rosenbergs were found guilty of treason and executed in 1953.

Joseph McCarthy

  • Background: Republican senator who exploited anti-communist sentiment for political gain.

  • Accusations: Claimed 205 Communists in the State Department.

  • Impact: Became powerful based on fear, discrediting the Truman administration.

Criticism of McCarthy

  • Republican Fracturing: Even Republicans began to criticize McCarthy’s tactics, especially his accusations against the military.

  • Media Coverage: Edward R. Murrow and others vocalized disagreement.

Army-McCarthy Hearings (1954)

  • Televised Event: Exposed McCarthy’s methods; he appeared as a bully.

  • Consequences: Senate censure of McCarthy in December 1954 ended the “witch hunts.”

  • Aftermath: McCarthy’s career ended, he died in 1957.