4.2 The End of Post War Euphoria

Question 1

Anti communsim post war 1945 + pre context 1918

Answer 1

• Bolshevik Revolution in 1919- First communist state in Rusia
• although allies during world war there was reason to suspect:
• Government documents found in the office of magazine ‘Amerasia’ - communist supporters
• Canadian officals handing over atomic secrets to USSR spies
• 1945-1948- entier eastern europe had become communsit - Iron Curtain Speech
  Nuclear Weapons:
• until 1949- USA only super power with atomic power = suspect Spying and Subversion
  1947 Executive order 9835 - Federal Employee Loyalty programme (Truman)
• investigate all areas of employees lives and private beliefs to check for communist sympthaty
• 3000 resigned
• 300 dismissed

Question 2

The Rise of the House Un-American Activities Commitee and Truman

Answer 2

• 1938- HUAC was created to investifate Nazi spies and subversion
• **Smith Act 1940 **- Prosecute any supporters or promoters of communsim
• Republicans used the HUAC as a powerful tool -
• Witch hunts of - Federal Gov, hollywood, trade unions were televised and broad casted
• EG;** Alger Hiss** - State department offical was prosecuted and tried for giving state secrest to former communist sympathsier Whitaker Chambers
• Truman used HUAC to help foster of hysteria against Red Scare and the “Red Under your bed”
• growing communsit feeling - 1947 Truman advoated for Marshall Plan for aid of countries at threat of communism (threat to US democracy) psot war.
  BUT
• Republicans considered truman to be too soft on threat of communsim.
• EG: communist victory in Chinese Civil War - blamed Truman and Statre Department - repsonsible for foreign affairs
• Truman should have offered moree effective assistance - to prevent victory
• criticised as upselling threat of communism to get support for Truman doctrine and Marshall Plan

Question 3

Red Scare - Growth of McCarthy

Answer 3

• 1950 stated that the state department had been infiltrated with communist who undermine USAs conflcit = national limelight
• but when questioned- number went from 205-57-“alot”
• called an opporutniist who exploited fear for poltical gain
• claims had no evidential support
• futher attacked government departments - American Bar Assocaition
• Eg: teachers profession - 1950 - 61% of americans said teachers should be saked if communist sympathsiers
• 1950 midterm election - 2 anti McCarthy senators lost seats = gains for Republicans
• McCarthy was able to answer why communism was thriving in and outside of american (China, korea, atomic weapons)- people within USA was undermining country - giving away secrets
• catholics supported McCarthy - saw fellow catholics being prosecuted under USSR
• anti establishment - saw support from the mid west
  *

Question 4

Red Scare- HUAC and McCarthy

Answer 4

• gave winning formual- anti communist crusade gave republicans popular appeal in times of democrats - fails by D of China and spread of communsim across Europe
• McCarran Act- required all communist and communist front organisation ot register with teh Subversive Activites Control Board - and investigagte any suspects
• 60,000 communists registered
• = empowered the federal government to order arrest of any peron in time of national emergency - Korean War
• Immigration and Nationality Act- stricter quotas on immigration adn screening of any potential subversives entering the USA
• activites heavily criticised by Truman:
• legilsation udnermined indiicdual freedom in teh USA and the US consitution
• **1952 Act **- communists could be denied passorts and foreginers suspected of subversion could be deported snd in emergency they could detain anyone classed as subversive
• BUT truman felt the act was going too far and vetoed it but only 58 people suported him
• Denis vs United States - supreme court upheld SMith Act - prosecuted 11 top communists
• McCarthys attacks on state departments - weakned morale in the federal government and created a clinate of fear and accusation
• Plead the fifth admedment- took as an admission of guilt. rights can be cut off by congress if national security was at stake
• 12 actors and writers sent to prison and others black listed from hollywood.
• case example - Arthur Miller
• citied for contempt, fined $500 snd given suspended prison sentance - wrote The Crucible

Question 5

Downfall of McCarthy

Answer 5

• had always had critics during red scare- Tydings Commitee “a fraud and a hoax”
• Republican party won election for first time in 20 years - ended McCarthys political usefulness BUT did not stop making accusations about infiltration of prestigous instituions
• armed forces - embarrasing for Eisenhower
• known to be a heavy drinker and seen as an embarrasment from the sentate
• McCarthy faced questioning for 35 days - 20 million watched televised
• he had constanlt undermineid professions eg teaching , government and professional bodies- army and supreme court
• finsished by 1954- BUT HUAC hearings continued and loyalty oaths remained in place

Question 6

Nuclear Weapons

Answer 6

• only super power until 1949 to have arms (post war - USSr lost 20 million men and land was devestated on western side of Soviet Union)
• 1949- fisrt time USA was under serious threat
• = growing fear of subversion to undermine USA domestically - fear of soviet spies on nuclear weapons
• children at school what to do in case of nuclear attack- hiding under desks
• families that could afford to built nuclear war shelters built in gardens
• large cities had public shelters incase of attakc
• Federal Highways and Defense Acts 1956- enable rapid evacuations of citiies in case of attakc

Question 7

Nuclear weapons -Rosenberg Case

Answer 7

• 1950 - British arrested Klaus Fuchs - worked on atomic bomb in WW2
• admitted to passing USA secrets to soviets and implicated to americans Ethel and Julius Rosenberg - both arrested
• based on eviednce provideed by ethels brother in law and Harry Gold - admitted to own espoinage activcities
• had been previous members of the american communist party
• BUT evidence had been circumsatntial and claimed they had been singled out because they were jewish
• appealed to the US Supreme Court 7 times claiming they did not have a fair trial
• BUT foudn guilty under Espionage Act 1917 and sentancned to death - reciveved popular support and majority of media sources were in agreement except Daily Worker and Jewish magazines
  *** trial confirmed the belief that many americans that threat ot US position came from within **

Question 8

Consequences of Macarthyism

Answer 8

• hundreds lost their jobs due to the black lists or having been called before the committee
• 300 teachers in NYC
• firms had been black listed - damaging ability to conduct business.
• 1950-52 118 people were citied for contempt of congress and jailed
• not just communsits -anyone who was radical could be acccused - continued after hearings ended
• politicisn who called for a radical agenda were accused of being ‘red’
• state department lost bundreds - Asia desk lost most of people knowledgavle about area - devastating consequences for American polcicy towards vietnam
• European youth became very anti american - actions confime alot of what the USSR had said about america