McCarthyism Flashcards
What was the Truman doctrine
Promised help to any country resisting communist takeover (internal or by another country)
What was the Marshall plan
A plan that gave millions of dollars in aid to European countries to help their post war economic problems - because the USA thought that if they had economic problems, communism would rise
What was the Berlin air lift
Stalin blocked all road, rail and canal supplies into West Berlin. Truman saw this as a test of the Truman doctrine, so they delivered the supplies by aircraft
When did the Soviets develop the atom bomb
August 1949
Who was J. Edgar Hoover
The director of the FBI and a very strong anti-communist.
What were the federal loyalty boards
Hoover was concerned about government officials being communist sympathisers, so he set up federal loyalty boards to investigate government employees.
How many government officials were investigated and how many were fired/fined due to the federal loyalty boards
Investigated 3m
Fired/fined 3,000
What was the HUAC
House of un-American activities - monitored extremist groups.
When was the HUAC founded
1938
What did the HUAC do in 1947
Began public hearings on the threat of communism. They called suspects to be questioned - asked about communist ties, potentially leading to criminal trials
What role did Hoover play in the HUAC (2)
- He was a key witness
- His FBI secretly passed intelligence to the HUAC
Who were the Hollywood ten
19 Hollywood people were labelled communist - 10 pleaded the first amendment (right to free speech). All 10 were jailed for 1 year for contempt, and were blacklisted
Why were the Hollywood 10 suspected of
They were being accused of using the film industry to spread communist propaganda
What was the impact of the Hollywood 10 (3)
- Gave huge publicity to HUAC
- Create anti-communist hysteria
- Film makers began to make anti-communist films
Who was algar hiss
A government worker who was a key adviser to FDR in the 1930s and WW2. He was called up to a HUAC hearing. He denied the accusations but Richard Nixon (member of HUAC) claimed he leaked info to the USSR. Hiss was sentenced to 5 years.
What impact did the hiss verdict have
Hoover gained fame - he was proved correct. People became scared that communism was everywhere, even in the highest government offices
What was the Rosenberg case
They were put on trial in march 1951 for spying. The evidence against them was weak but they were found guilty and sentenced to their death. They were executed on the 19th June 1953
What were the key factors in the red scare taking off (3)
- Hollywood 10
- Algar hiss
- Soviet atomic bomb
What was the McCarran internal security act 1950
All communist organisations had to register with the government
When and how was the 1950 mcCarran act strengthened (3)
1952:
1. Communists were not allowed US passports
2. Communists couldn’t work certain jobs
3. In an emergency, anyone suspected of subversion (trying to overthrow a government) could be put in a detention camp with no trial
What was McCarthyism
A term used to describe the anti-communist hysteria of the 1950s
How did the Cold War impact the red scare
The soviets were very powerful
Their intervention in many countries e.g. Korea, eastern bloc made the US think that the Soviet’s wanted world power
What was Joseph McCarthy’s background
He was republican senator for Wisconsin in 1946
How did McCarthy rise to fame
After the Hiss trial, he claimed to have a list of 205 communists who worked in the US government
