Chapter 1 - The Red Scare and McCarthyism Flashcards
When was the Truman Doctrine announced?
March 1947
What would the Truman Doctrine do?
Provide support to any country resisting takeover by other groups or countries (by which they meant communists)
What was introduced as financial aid to the Truman Doctrine?
The Marshall Plan
What did the Marshall Plan do?
Gave millions of dollars of aid to many European countries suffering from economic problems
What did the FBI set up
Federal Loyalty Boards
What did the US Government set up in 1938 to ‘monitor Extremist Groups?
House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC)
What did the HUAC do?
Monitor extremist groups
Why did HUAC start public hearings
To educate the public and exposing traitors (communists)
What were suspects asked
‘Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?’
Who were the Hollywood 10
10 out of 41 Hollywood writers, producers and directors for questioning
What did the Hollywood 10 plead
The First Amendment - right of everyone to their own views and free speech
What did the Hollywood 10 cause on HUAC, Hysteria, Hollywood
- More HUAC publicity
- Increased anti-communist hysteria
- More production of anti- communist films
Who was Alger Hiss in the 1930’s
Member of the State Department and an important adviser to President Roosevelt and in WWII
Why did Hiss go to trial
Nixon insisted he was leaking information to the Soviet Union
Alger Hiss Case
Went to trial 1949
January 1950 convicted to prison for 5 years for lying to the court
He was never convicted of being a spy
Hoover was proved right that communists were everywhere
Why were the Rosenberg’s charged with spying
Klaus Fuchs got arrested in Britain
K.F. named David Greenglass who was arrested in the USA
D.G. named his sister and brother-in-law the Rosenberg’s
How were the Rosenberg’s executed
By electric chair
What caused the McCarran Internal Security Act to be passed
The soviet unions successful testing of an atomic bomb
What did the McCarran Internal Security Act say
All communist organisations to register with the government
What did the strengthened McCarran Act say
- Communists weren’t allowed US passports
- Communists couldn’t work certain jobs
- In an emergency communists could be placed in detention camp without trials
What did McCarthy do
Accessed the greatest fear of many Americans
Methods used by McCarthy
- Private and Public Hearings
- Bullying and aggressive questioning
- Attacked high-profile figures for more publicity
- Fabricated evidence
Failure of McCarthy
No-one McCarthy accused was ever convicted of spying but gained popularity
McCarthy’s Downfall
He became more extreme
He failed to prevent communist victory in China
Army hearings began
Anti-McCarthy material appeared - corruption
Impact of McCarthyism
Direct impact on thousand jobs lost / careers damaged
More Hysteria
Many people stopped talking about politics by the fear of being seen as communist.
