1. The Cold War by the 1950s
In the 1950s, Cold War tensions led to anxiety & fear in America:
The USSR dominated Eastern Europe & China fell to communism
The Korean War almost led to a full-scale war with China
The U.S.-Soviet atomic arms race led to fears of a nuclear attack
The discovery of Soviet spies in the U.S. led to a new Red Scare

2. Cold War Hysteria & HUAC Video (5.32)

3. The Red Scare
Red Scare fears in America were heightened by the discovery of spies working for the USSR:
State Dept employee Alger Hiss who was eventually convicted of spying for the USSR
Ethel & Julius Rosenberg were convicted & executed for passing atomic bomb secrets to the USSR
Fear of Communism:
Alger Hiss & the Rosenbergs
Gov’t reaction:
Loyalty Review Board
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

4. Julius & Ethel Rosenberg
Alger Hiss
Julius & Ethel Rosenberg

5. McCarthyism Activity
Examine the document titled “McCarthy’s Telegram to Truman” & answer the questions provided
After a brief class discussion, read “Truman’s Response” & answer the questions provided

6. McCarthyism
In 1950, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy emerged as the leader of anti-Communism in the U.S.
He attacked Truman & the Democrats for allowing communists to infiltrate the gov’t
He used public trials to make unsupported accusations against suspected communists in the State Dept & the U.S. military

7. McCarthyism in Action McCarthy’s attacks lasted 4 years
But “McCarthyism” did not result in a single confirmed Communist or spy in the U.S. gov’t
McCarthy was briefly popular but by 1954, the Senate & American public grew tired of his bullying techniques & McCarthyism faded

9. Eisenhower & the Cold War
In 1952, World War II hero Dwight Eisenhower was elected president
At home, he tried to promote the “good times” of the 1950s economic boom
In foreign policy, he took a strong stand against Communism
affluent, postwar “good life”

10. Brinksmanship Eisenhower began a “New Look” to fight the Cold War:
He invested heavily in new long-range nuclear missiles (ICBMs)
In foreign policy, he used veiled threats of nuclear war to achieve his goals (called brinksmanship)
In case of a Soviet attack, the U.S. would use “massive retaliation” thus making the use of nuclear weapons unlikely on either side

11. The stockpiling of ICBMs
Nuclear submarines

12. Duck and Cover
Don’t play the whole video…just a taste

14. Americans were anxious by the threat of nuclear war & built fallout shelters for protection
Nuclear fallout docs:

15. Eisenhower & the Cold War
In response to the threat of a Soviet nuclear attack, Eisenhower pushed Congress to create the Interstate Highway System in 1956
41,000 miles of divided highway to connect major U.S. cities
In addition to helping promote trade & travel, these highways were vital to evacuate cities during a nuclear attack

16. Interstate Highway System

17. The Eisenhower Doctrine
In 1957, the president issued the Eisenhower Doctrine, pledging the USA to protect the Middle East from Communism
After Stalin’s death in 1953, new Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev began to challenge U.S. influence:
In 1955, the USSR formed the Warsaw Pact alliance
In 1956, the Soviet military violently suppressed an anti-communist revolt in Hungary
In 1956, the USSR began to make moves towards the Middle East

18. Sputnik & the Space Race
In 1957, the USSR launched the 1st space satellite, Sputnik I
People feared that the U.S. had lost its competitive edge
The National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) was formed in 1958 to catch up to the Soviets
National Defense Education Act was created to promote math, science, & technology education
Advanced placement (AP) classes were created as a result of the NDEA

19. The “space race” intensified the Cold War between USA & USSR
The Original Seven NASA Mercury Astronauts

20. Eisenhower & the Cold War
Eisenhower failed to thaw the Cold War by the end of the 1950s:
In 1960, an American U-2 plane was shot down over the USSR proving we were spying on Russia
He was unable to negotiate with the USSR weapons reduction
Before leaving office, he warned against overspending on defense (“Military Industrial Complex”)

21. Conclusions
By 1960, the Cold War remained the major focus of U.S. foreign policy
Truman contained communism in Europe while Eisenhower used the CIA & brinksmanship to limit Soviet global influence
But, Americans remained anxious due to McCarthyism, threats of nuclear war, & increasing gov’t spending on defense