(4b) The end of post-war euphoria

Question 1

What was The House of Un-American Activities?

When was it set up?

Answer 1

Initially set up in 1938 to deal with possible German agents spying and subversion.
End of WW2, it was used in same way against possible communist subversion.

Question 2

When was the Smith Act and what did it do?

Answer 2

1940: The Smith Act allowed the prosecution of anyone who supported and promoted communism.

Question 3

When event led to HAUC becoming powerful?

Answer 3

After the midterm elections in 1946 the Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives - HAUC became a powerful instrument in America’s fight against communism.

Question 4

What were Trumans views on communism?

Answer 4

Truman helped build up anti-communist feelings by stating the USSR was a threat not to just Europe but the whole of the democratic world.

Question 5

Give an example of how people were worried about communism?

Answer 5

1954, in Birmingham, Alabama paranoia about communism was so great it was illegal to be seen talking to a known communist

Question 6

What was the aim of HAUC?

Answer 6

The HAUC investigated what they believed was communist infiltration across America, by attempting to expose communist supporters in the federal government, trade unions, and in Hollywood. Investigations carried out by the HUAC were televised and reported in newspapers; radio news also covered the investigations.

Question 7

What added to the hysteria around communism?

Answer 7

Media coverage whipped up hysteria. To the public, it seemed that there was an actual communist threat and subversives were everywhere.
Fear of “Reds under the beds”

Question 8

What was the case of Alger Hiss?

Answer 8

a State Department official, president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and had served in several departments, was accused of being a communist sympathiser. Accused of giving American government documents to a self-confessed former communist, in 1938. Although he denied all charges Hiss was found guilty of lying to the HUAC in January 1950 after a widely publicised trial.

Question 9

What impact did the Hiss trial have?

Answer 9

The Hiss Trial brought Richard Nixon into the spotlight, who was later to become president. He supported a Bill in the House of Representative that stipulated all of America’s communists had to register with the government.

Question 10

What was passed in 1950 to do with communism?

Answer 10

In 1950 Republican Senator Pat McCarran was able to pass the Internal Security Act (the McCarran Act) which required communist organisations to register with the Subversive Activities Control Board, which would also investigate any group thought to be ‘ideologically suspect’.

Question 11

What did HAUC accuse Hollywood of doing?

Who supported them?

Answer 11

Accused some of making films that had communistic content aimed at brainwashing the people of America.

Some Hollywood film stars and makers such as Walt Disney, Ronald Regan, John Wayne and Gary Cooper came out in support of the HAUC

Question 12

Who did not support HAUCs view of Hollywood?

Give some examples

Answer 12

Others, such as Charlie Chaplin who was refused re-entry into America, and the infamous Hollywood 10, were sacked from their jobs and blacklisted due to their supposed ‘communist affiliations’.

The Hollywood 10 included Dalton Trumbo, a screenwriter, who went on making films under a pseudonym.

Question 13

What did McCarty claim about communists?

Answer 13

McCarty claimed that the State Department had been infiltrated and was full of communists and communist sympathisers

He claimed that he had a list of 250 names, this then became 50 names and finally “a lot” of names.

Question 14

What did McCarty do with his list of names?

Answer 14

McCarthy never named any individuals on his ‘list’ and a Senate Committee set up to investigate found no evidence to support his assertions

This did not deter McCarthy, who then went on to make similar accusations about the American Bar Association (Barristers and lawyers) and the American Medical Association with similar lack of evidence.

Question 15

What impact did McCarty have American people?

Answer 15

He raised his profile amongst the American people, and those who criticised him were ostracised and considered unpatriotic: two anti-Mccarthy senators lost their seats in 1950 mid-term elections!

Question 16

What impact did McCarty have on public option?

What poll supports this?

Answer 16

What he said resonated with population: 1950 poll showed 61% of those asked thought a teacher should be sacked if they were a communist sympathiser

Question 17

What did McCarty promote?

Answer 17

McCarthy was actively promoting anti-communism, and promoting a belief that America was the greatest, most powerful country in the world and that subversives should not be allowed to undermine this

Question 18

Who did not support McCarty

Answer 18

The Civil Liberties Union, President Truman and the Democrats all denounced the actions of McCarthy and his supporters.

Question 19

What did McCarty help pass in 1952?

What did this establish?

Answer 19

in 1952, Senator McCarran helped pass another law: the Immigration and Nationality Act.

This established new, stricter immigration quotas and set out procedures to screen out any subversives attempting to enter America.

Question 20

What was the down fall of McCathy?

Name 5 things

Who did he start to blame as communist symphers?

Answer 20

1) In 1954, many Americans witnessed McCarthy’s accusations and aggression through televised HAUC committee hearings.
2) People turned against McCarthy after his accusations against the armed forces. They had just finished fighting against communism in Korea.
3) President Eisenhower, himself ex-military, was also critical of McCarthy
4) McCarthy was accused of seeking preferential treatment in the army for one of his aides, and of bullying tactics.
5) After being reprimanded by the Senate, McCarthy returned to his former obscurity until his death from alcoholism in 1957

Question 21

What was the 1920’s like for fear of Communism?

Answer 21

1) After WW1, consumed by the fear of communism spreading.
2) 1920s, the Red Scare was a direct response to the creation of the world’s first communist government by the Bolsheviks whose supporters wanted a similar style of government in America.
3) Palmer raids led to arrest of 6,000 immigrants suspected of communist sympathies

Question 22

Why did the fear of communism rise again after WW2?

Answer 22

due to the post war division of Europe by an ‘iron curtain’: East controlled by Russia and West controlled by America and the Allies.

Question 23

How did Truman try on contain the spread of communism?

Answer 23

To contain the spread of communism, 1947 President Truman introduced the Truman Doctrine which pledged American support to any country that was under threat of a communist take-over.

Question 24

When was the Truman Doctrine?

Answer 24

1947

Question 25

When was the Marshall plans?

Answer 25

1947

Question 26

What was the Marshall plan?

What was the aim of the plan?

Answer 26

General George Marshall made a visit to Europe and came away thinking Europe was so poor that the whole of Europe was about to turn Communist. Marshall and Truman asked Congress for $17 billion to fund a European Recovery Programme

Got the economy of Europe going again.

Question 27

What kind of aid was given though the Marshall plan?

How was the money spent?

Answer 27

The aid was given in the form of food, grants to buy equipment, improvements to transport systems, and everything “from medicine to mules”.

Most (70%) of the money was used to buy commodities from US suppliers:

=$3.5 billion was spent on raw materials;
=$3.2 billion on food, feed and fertiliser;
=$1.9 billion on machinery and vehicles;
=$1.6 billion on fuel.

Question 28

What happened in 1945 to do with communism magazine?

Answer 28

In June 1945, hundreds of secret US state documents were found in the offices of “Amerasia” a communist sponsored magazine. Six people associated with the magazine were arrested by the FBI and accused of espionage on behalf of the Chinese Communists.

Question 29

What was the “Amerasia” case the first example of?

What did it increase fears of?

Answer 29

This was the first public drama of charging American citizens that had spied for the Communists. Arguably, the case was a precursor to McCarthyism.

It exacerbated fears of being spied on and subversion

Question 30

What board did Truman create in 1947?

Answer 30

Truman created the Loyalty Review Board amid growing concerns regarding communist activities.

Question 31

What did the Loyalty review Board introduce?

Answer 31

It introduced new loyalty and security checks on all federal employees to ensure employees were not communist sympathisers. Employees were questioned not only about their personal beliefs but also who they associated both at work and privately.

Question 32

What happened as a result of the Loyalty review Board?

Answer 32

As a result, between 1947 and 1951 between

3,000 and 6,000 federal employees resigned

between 300 and 1,200 were dismissed.

Question 33

What was suspected after Russia developed nuclear weapons?

Answer 33

Until 1949, due in part to Nazi scientists, the US was the only country with nuclear weapons. So, in 1949 when Russia announced it had nuclear weapons, it seemed justification that American military secrets had been passed on.

Question 34

What had relations between the US and Russia got to from 1949 onwards?

Answer 34

From 1949 relationships between the two former allies deteriorated into a Cold War between the USSR and USA

Question 35

When did Russia have its first nuclear weapon by?

What impact did this have?

Answer 35

1949

This increased tension between the two superpowers, and the arms race began.

Question 36

When did the Cold War run until?

Answer 36

The Cold War ran right up until 1991, as the nuclear capability of the USSR meant they could carry out a military strike against USA on home soil.

Question 37

Way were the US concerned about Russia?

Answer 37

America became concerned about how quickly the USSR had acquired the knowledge to build nuclear weapons. Suspicions fell on subversives and spies willing to give US secrets to the enemy.

Question 38

What impact the the reality of the nuclear age have on the American people?

Answer 38

=Impacted lives of all Americans. The fear of a nuclear strike was very real, which increased the sense of paranoia throughout America.

=School children were taught what they should do in the event of a nuclear strike.

=Families, that had the means to do so, built anti-nuclear shelters

=Large cities had public shelters and Civil Defence plans were drawn up.

Question 39

What was the Federal Defence Act?

When was this?

Answer 39

In 1956 the Federal Defence Act was passed, which enabled the rapid evacuation of cities.

Question 40

What took pace on the 4th June 1954?

What was the aim of this?

Answer 40

54 cities took part in a nationwide exercise that lasted for 10mins.

The aim of the exercise was to clear the streets, and everyone was to take shelter.
Officials were satisfied with the outcome, though they acknowledged that at least 12 million Americans would have died.

Question 41

What happened in February 1950?

Answer 41

British scientist Klaus Fuchs, who had worked on America’s nuclear weapon, was arrested.

Question 42

What did Klaus Fuchs admit?

Answer 42

He admitted to passing American nuclear weapons secrets to the Soviets and implicated an American couple who had been members of the American Communist Party, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg .

Question 43

Who was Julius Rosenberg?

What led to her arrest?

Answer 43

Julius Rosenberg was an electrical engineer with the US Signal Corps and was arrested 17 July 1950.

The arrest was partially made on information given by Ethel Rosenberg’s brother-in-law David Greengrass and Harry Gold, a chemist from Philadelphia.

Question 44

What part did harry gold play?

What evidence was used against them?

What did they say was the reason they were arrested?

Answer 44

While Gold admitted his own part in acts of espionage, evidence against the Rosenbergs was based on circumstance and innuendo. The couple claimed they were victimised as they were Jewish.

Question 45

What was the outcome for the Rosenbergs?

When did this happen?

Answer 45

The Rosenbergs were found guilty under the Espionage Act of 1917, something of a foregone conclusion considering the political climate of the time.

Rosenbergs were sentenced to death and executed by electric chair on June 19, 1953.