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AN ERA OF FEAR
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Brinkmanship “If a Nation would dare to attack us, or perchance one of our allies, with a force of X, it would become incumbent upon us to respond with a force of 2X. Needless to say, we would retaliate at a time of our choosing, in a place of our choosing, and in a method of our choosing. This is what we would like to call 'Massive Retaliation'.” The American policy of brinkmanship is born – willingness to go to the brink of all-out nuclear war.
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Spies Make Headlines – Creating a 2nd RED SCARE!! Julius & Ethel Rosenberg Alger Hiss Congressman Nixon pursues the case against Hiss…
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Alger Hiss Hiss, a State Department official, was called out by former Communist spy Klaus Fuchs, who claimed that Hiss had passed secrets to the Soviets. Evidence was produced that could have been typed in Hiss’s typewriter, so he was convicted and jailed in 1950. Richard Nixon, a Congressman, gained fame by prosecuting him. Americans freak out! We do have spies in our own government!
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Julius and Ethel Rosenberg More newsworthy than the Hiss case was the Soviet getting the secrets of the atom bomb! Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, minor communist activists, were named as spies, again by Klaus Fuchs in 1950. They claimed they were being persecuted for being Jews who held radical beliefs, but Americans didn’t care – the Soviets had the bomb and someone needed to take the responsibility! When sentencing them to death, the Judge claimed that what the Rosenbergs did was “worse than murder.” They were the 1 st U.S. civilians executed for espionage.
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Loyalty Review Boards Truman wants to prove he’s taking the Communist threat seriously not only in Europe, but at home as well (domestically), so he institutes… Government employees were investigated and needed to prove that they are loyal to the US Government – how do you prove that? You sign an oath. If not signed you were fired
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House of Cards
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HUAC The House Un-American Activities Committee was one of the organizations formed to investigate communist influence. They chose to focus on the movie industry, believing that Hollywood was sneaking Communist propaganda into its films. And of course, because it was Hollywood, the trials were highly publicized.
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The House Committee on Un-American Activities Investigates the Hollywood Movie Industry!! Live on Television!
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Hollywood Responds While major stars of the era such as Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart and Gene Kelly signed a petition denouncing the hearings as un- America…many other Hollywood notables became friendly witnesses. Ronald Reagan, president of the Screen Actors Guild, and Walt Disney, both testified on communist activities in Hollywood, connecting Communism to the labor movement and labor unions.
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10 Unfriendly Witnesses Dubbed the “Hollywood 10” refused to answer questions based on their un- Constitutionality (goes against Freedom of Speech!) and were sent to prison and blacklisted (could never work in industry again.) Hollywood 10Hollywood 10
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This Senator from Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy, desperately needed a campaign idea to win the next election…and it seemed that America was pretty scared of Communists…
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McCarthyMcCarthy’s tactics… use HUAC trials to accuse people without evidence! McCarthy
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McCarthyism The hysteria that Joseph McCarthy led, named McCarthyism, was based on him claiming to have lists (containing various numbers, depending on when you asked him) of communist party members in our government. He never provided evidence, because the hysteria was enough to cause doubt… Joe, come here a minute I get a red hot tip for you, Joe See that guy with the red suspenders Driving that car with the bright red fenders I know he's one of those heavy spenders Get that Communist Joe He's fillin' my gal with propaganda And I'm scared she will meander Don't want to take a chance that he'll land her Get that Communist Joe He's a most revolting character And the fellas hate him so But with the girls this character Is a Comrade Romeo Since my love he's sabotaging And the law he has been dodging Give him what he deserves, jailhouse lodging Get that Communist Joe (Get that Shmo, Joe)
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McCarthy’s Downfall McCarthy finally took his hysteria too far when he accused prominent U.S. clergy as well as Army members. His televised hearings without evidence, where he bullied the witnesses, cost him his reputation, and American support. On the stand, one witness exclaimed “You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?” The Senate publically condemned and censured McCarthy, who died three years later from alcoholism.
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Overview of the Red Scare During the course of anti- communist hysteria in America, the government investigated journalists, teachers, scientists and librarians. Nobody was safe. People were afraid to sign petitions quoting the Declaration of Independence for fear that it might be seen as subversive. No occupation was safe, no ideas harmless…
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COLD WAR HEATS UP
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NEW NATIONS AND NATO The Berlin Airlift had proven that Stalin wanted to spread communism, but would stop before it came to actual war. Therefore, ten western nations, the US and Canada decided to make a defensive military alliance called NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The 12 members pledged military support to anyone of them that was to get attacked. “An attack on one is an attack on all.”
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WARSAW PACT When West Germany was invited to join NATO, the Soviets decided they needed their own military alliance – the Warsaw Pact. All communist states of Eastern Europe, except Yugoslavia, were members. Each side of the Cold War was competing for spheres of influence - regions over which a powerful nation exerts unofficial but significant political, military, and economic domination. Soviets controlled most of Eastern Europe and the US had influence over most of Western Europe.
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CONTAINMENT The US understood that the Soviet Union would only expand when it could do so without real risk. Stalin would not chance war with the US, which might destroy his power, just to spread communism. US institutes the policy of containment …contain communism within its existing borders. The Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine both helped with this. Containment had its limits though…
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CIVIL WAR IN CHINA Mao Zedong Mao Zedong led the Communist party. The Soviets were sending support to Mao Zedong. Mao promised land for all, and to make sure nobody went hungry Mao wins the election and Kai-Shek flees to Taiwan. Communism takes over the country with the largest population in the world – Communism now controlled ¼ of the world’s land, and 1/3 of the population. Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-Shek led the Nationalist party The U.S. sent aide to Chiang Kai- Shek his officials were pocketing the money instead of using it to feed their people. The US refused to send troops to aid the corrupt leader, leaving the Chinese a choice of corruption and greed, or land and food.
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THE FIGHT IN KOREA Was American going to allow another country to fall to communism?? After WWII Korea was divided into 2 independent nations – communist controlled North Korea, and nationalist South Korea - divided by the 38 th parallel. North was equipped by the Soviet Union. South was controlled by America and they sent less aide to the South. June 25, 1950, North Korean forces invaded the South across the 38 th parallel, beginning the Korean War.
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NORTH KOREA ATTACKS!! With prodding from Truman, the UN agreed to assist South Korea in repelling the attack. Truman did not get a declaration of war from Congress, but pulled troops from the US supported by the UN resolution. In charge of the UN troops was Douglas MacArthur, recently arrived from Japan to take charge.
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MACARTHUR DRIVES BACK NORTH KOREA MacArthur sent an attack force to cut off the North Korean supply lines and succeeded in forcing them to flee back across the 38 th parallel. What do we do next?? Mission accomplished! End the war! Or Keep going and push the communists out of Korea.
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THE CHINESE CAUSE A STALEMATE. MacArthur took charge and attacked North of the 38 th parallel. His forces got as far as the Yalu River on the border of China. Then 300,000 Chinese troops attacked South Korean and American positions and forced them back. Truman favored an idea called Limited War – fighting only to achieve specific goals, MacArthur disagreed. Truman fires MacArthur for insubordination.
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EISENHOWER AS PRESIDENT Dwight Eisenhower, leader of our troops on the other side of the world during WWII, starts campaigning for the presidency and says if he gets elected he will end the war. In 1953, upon getting elected and failing to negotiate peace, he hints to the communists that he might use nuclear weapons Stalin dies very shortly after, so the communists decide to sign a cease fire which is still in effect today, ending the Korean War with a stalemate – neither side wins or loses.
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