Increasing Cold War tensions -> McCarthyhism in the USA and its influence in Britain and Europe Flashcards
What years were a period of high Cold War tensions?
1949-1953
Which events between 1949-53 signified high Cold War tensions?
- June 1948 - May 1949: Berlin Blockade
- April 1949: NATO founded
- August 1949: The Soviets acquired the A-bomb
- September - October 1949: The two Germanies were founded
- October 1949: Mao came to power in China
- June 1950 - July 1953: Korean War
How were relations far from good between 1949-53?
- It was not a hot war but became a really Cold War
- struggling to keep hopes of relations between powers being stable
- to avoid a further worsening of relations, something needed to happen
When did Stalin die?
In March 1953
What were attitudes like to Stalin’s death?
The Politburo relaxed and reversed his edicts and launched a wide-ranging programme of reforms, eager to replace him
What did Malenkov and Khrushchev want following Stalin’s death?
Talked about the need for good relations with the West and the need for destalinisation
What were the Rosenburgs convicted for?
Passing American nuclear secrets to the USSR and were executed
What scare had taken over the US by 1950?
The Red Scare
What was the Red Scare?
The perceived threat of communism and that the US government was riddled with communist sympathisers
What developments in the USSR China provoked the Red Scare further?
- The USSR had successfully tested atomic technology in 1949
- The same year China became a communist state
- in 1950, China formed an alliance with the USSR and the spectre of a monolithic communist enemy loomed large in US thinking
What did NSC-68 warn?
That the Cold War was a ‘real war in which the survival of the free world [was] at stake’
- therefore, Americans must show their ‘ingenuity, sacrifice and unity’
Which committee carried out extensive investigations on the patriotism and political affiliations of Hollywood filmmakers?
The House of Un-American Activities Committee
Why was this committee formed?
To investigate communist infiltration targeting the film industry
Who was convicted of perjury in 1950?
Alger Hiss
What did Hiss lie about?
Passing on information to the USSR while working for the US state department
- Validity of this accusation is still widely debated
How was Truman treated due to Hiss’ conviction?
This revelation sparked a wave of criticism of President Truman’s foreign policy, accused of being too ‘soft’ on communism and responsible for the ‘loss’ of ‘their’ China
Who pioneered this movement?
Senator Joseph McCarthy
- exploited and drove anti-communist anxieties at the time
What idea did McCarthy promote?
Alleged that the US government was riddled with spies and communist sympathisers, influencing its policies
What was the ‘Hollywood 10’ affair?
- In 1947, Republicans led HUAC and investigated a supposed Hollywood-centred communist plot to overthrow the gov.
- The ‘Hollywood 10’ was a group of writers/directors who were currently or previously part of the American Communist Party e.g Charlie Chaplin
- They were convicted of contempt and given one-year jail sentences
What is contempt?
Contempt - insult to, interference with, or violation of a sovereign court or legislative body
Describe the investigations done during the McCarthy hysteria:
- In 1952, McCarthy led congressional committees investigating communists within the USA
- By 1953, these investigations covered the media, the entertainment industry, colleges and universities
- Hundreds of state and local gov. employees, teachers and college professors lost their jobs
What did McCarthy say in a speech about communist presence in government?
they are “infested with communists”
What did McCarthy’s rhetoric claim about the ‘Reds’?
They were undermining American traditions and customs, and questioning the correctness about the American way of life
What claim did McCarthy make in 1954?
McCarthy claimed that the ‘Reds’ had infiltrated the US Army
What did army counsel Joseph Welch say in response which destroyed McCarthy?
‘Senator… you have done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last have you left no sense of decency
What did the US Senate vote in December 1954?
Voted in favour of McCarthy being guilty of having brought that body into disrepute
What did the Senate do to McCarthy in March 1955?
- In March 1955, the Senate censured McCarthy
- Censure - formal expression of severe disapproval
Describe how McCarthyism changed US policy in Asia and Europe:
- Emphasised need for shift in US policy from Eurocentric focus to an ‘Asia first’ viewpoint
- Containment consolidated West’s position in Europe, but Asia was much less secure
- Claimed Truman failed to recognise threat of communism in Asia
What events did McCarthy use to justify his ‘Asia first’ policies?
- China becoming communist in 1949
- Alliance between USSR and China
- Truman’s reluctance to support Jiang Jieshi during Chinese Civil War
- Claimed Korean war wouldn’t have happened if Truman supported Chinese nationalists
Describe the influence McCarthyism and the globalisation of the Cold War had on Britain
- Britain concerned with the USA’s more aggressive Cold War thinking
- Concerned US’ aggressive response to Korean War might lead to USSR destabilising Europe, while UN focused on Asia
- ‘Asia first’ dangerous idea
- Korean War threatened territorial stability NATO sought out for
- Britain wanted to remain a close ally to USA
- So made significant military contribution in Korea despite continuing austerity
