Red Scare & McCarthyism

Background

• A Red Scare had followed U.S. victory in World War I, largely due to the Russian Revolution in 1917.
• A second Red Scare followed U.S. victory in World War II.

During the early years of the cold war

• Communist successes in Europe & Asia led to paranoia about Communist spies in the US.
• Fear that Communists may have infiltrated U.S. State Department, the U.S. military, and all institutions in American society

Security & civil rights Under Truman

A. Loyalty Review Board

B. Leaders of Communist party were jailed for advocating the overthrow of the United States government (FBI)

C. Supreme Court Case: Dennis et al. v. United States (1951) (Not complete freedom of speech)

D. McCarran Internal Security Act (1950)

E. House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) they call meetings to investigate communism in various industries

Alger Hiss Case

• Prominent official from the State Department who had assisted Roosevelt at the Yalta Conference
• Richard M. Nixon, a young Conservative, helped to investigate the case.
• Whittaker Chambers, a confessed Communist testified that Hiss gave him secret information.
• In 1950, Hiss was convicted of perjury and sent to prison.
• Result: Many Americans could not help wondering whether Communist spies infiltrated the highest levels of government.

Rosenberg Case

• American Question: How did the Soviets get the technology to do an atomic bomb?
• Klaus Fuchs, a British scientist who had worked on the Manhattan Project, admitted giving A- bomb secrets to the Russians.
• FBI investigation traced another spy ring to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in New York.
• After a controversial trial in 1951, the Rosenbergs were found guilty of treason and executed for the crime in 1953.
• Result: Civil rights groups raised questions about whether anti communist hysteria had played a role in the conviction and punishment of the Rosenbergs

Rise of Joseph McCarthy

• Republican Senator from Wisconsin
• Speech in 1950 charged that 205 Communists were still working for the State Department
  • Didn’t offer evidence
• His Power = Based on fear of the damage McCarthy could do
• Working - class Americans loved that he aimed at the wealthy and privileged in society.
• Weakening the Democrats (Inadvertently helping Eisenhower become president)

Truman in Retirement

Another Democrat get elected in 1952?

• Second Red Scare
• Stalemate in Korea
• Loss of full diplomacy with China
• Scandals surrounding Truman’s advisers

Truman decided to return to private life in Missouri

Republicans blamed “mess on Washington” on Truman.