pages 43-44 of USA A5 booklet (What caused McCarthyism?)

Question 1

Where did Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin all meet to discuss how to deal with Germany once the war is won?

Answer 1

They met at the Yalta and Potsdam conferences in February and July 1945.

Question 2

Why were there disagreements when Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin all met to discuss Germany’s punishment?

Answer 2

There were disagreements over how harshly to deal with Germany.

Question 3

Where did the Soviet Union takeover during 1945-48?

Answer 3

The Soviet Union took over Eastern Europe.

Question 4

What was the cause that led Stalin to take over most of Eastern Europe?

Answer 4

At both the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, Stalin asked for a “sphere of influence” over countries in Eastern Europe to protect the USSR from future invasion. Whilst the USA and Britain initially agreed, Stalin interpreted this as being able to take over these countries.

Question 5

Between 1945-1948 which countries did Stalin takeover?

Answer 5

Between 1945-48, Stalin took over countries such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary and Romania, putting communists in charge.

Question 6

What speech did Truman give in 1947?

Answer 6

In 1947 Truman gave the Truman Doctrine.

Question 7

What did Truman say in the Truman Doctrine?

Answer 7

Truman said “For every communist action, there would be an equal American action.”

Question 8

Why did Truman give the Truman Doctrine?

Answer 8

He was concerned about Stalin’s takeover of Eastern Europe.

Question 9

What followed the Truman Doctrine of 1947?

Answer 9

The Marshall Plan of 1948 followed the Truman Doctrine.

Question 10

How much money did the Marshall Plan give Western European countries to protect themselves from communism?

Answer 10

The Marshall Plan in 1948 gave $17 billion to Western European countries to protect them from communism.

Question 11

When was the Berlin Blockade and Berlin Airlift?

Answer 11

1948-1949

Question 12

When did Stalin begin the blockade of West Berlin, and why?

Answer 12

In June 1948, Stalin began a blockade of West Berlin in an attempt to take it from US control.

Question 13

What did the allies do in response to the Berlin Blockade?

Answer 13

The allies began an airlift to provide millions of tonnes of supplies to prevent the people in West Berlin being starved into submission.

Question 14

\When did Stalin call off the Berlin Blockade, and why?

Answer 14

Stalin called off the blockade in May 1949 because he realised he couldn’t defeat the USA over this issue.

Question 15

What happened in 1949?

Answer 15

In 1949 China became communist and the USSR developed the atom bomb.

Question 16

What did the USA form in 1949?

Answer 16

The USA set up the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in 1949.

Question 17

What was NATO?

Answer 17

NATO was a military alliance of capitalist powers against the growing threat of the USSR and the spread of communism.

Question 18

What did members of NATO all agree to do?

Answer 18

Members of NATO agreed to defend each other against an attck from the USSR.

Question 19

When was the Korean War?

Answer 19

1950-1953.

Question 20

When did North Korea invade South Korea?

Answer 20

In June 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea and the USA came to the aid of South Korea, fighting a war until July 1953.

Question 21

What made the USA even more worried about the strength of communism?

Answer 21

Communist China helped North Korea during the war and this made the USA even more worried about the strength of communism around the world.

Question 22

When had the USA already experienced a Red Scare?

Answer 22

The USA had already experienced a Red Scare in 1919.which led to mistrust and mistreatment of outsiders (particularly immigrants). This fear continued to grow into the late 1930s and 1940s.

Question 23

Why were people becoming more scared of communism?

Answer 23

As Stalin took over Eastern Europe by 1948, China turned communist in 1949 and the Korean War broke out in 1950, people began to fear the spread of communism to their country.

Question 24

Who did Americans begin to suspect?

Answer 24

Americans began to suspect anyone who didn’t show the “American values” of patriotism, freedom, enterprise and labelled them communist sympathisers.

Question 25

What did the US Congress set up to investigate communist sympathisers?

Answer 25

Congress set up the House Committee of Un-American Activities to investigate communist sympathisers in the government, education and the film industry.

Question 26

Why were some people sacked?

Answer 26

It was very difficult to prove people’s loyalty to the USA and many people were sacked as “security risks”. Some people turned on their friends and accused them of being communist sympathisers.

Question 27

Who was a famous spy convicted of being a communist sympathiser?

Answer 27

One famous example of a spy being found was Elgar Hiss who had served in several government departments under Truman.

Question 28

When was Elgar Hiss convicted?

Answer 28

Elgar Hiss was convicted in January 1950.

Question 29

Who started a campaign against possible communists?

Answer 29

In early 1950, senator Joe McCarthy started a campaign against possible communists using half-truths, rumours, smears and lies.

Question 30

What became a famous slogan of McCarthy’s?

Answer 30

“Reds under every bed”

Question 31

What did McCarthy claim he had?

Answer 31

McCarthy claimed he had a list of communists working in the government. The list was never handed over to authorities to be investigated but some people were sacked on very little evidence.

Question 32

What did newspapers run their headlines as?

Answer 32

Newspapers ran headlines sharing McCarthy’s latest list of communist supervisors.

Question 33

Which 2 people did McCarthy accuse of being communists?

Answer 33

McCarthy even accused General Marshall and future President Eisenhower of being communists.

Question 34

What did Congress find when investigating McCarthy’s claims?

Answer 34

Congress investigated his claims and found them to lack any real evidence.They also found McCarthy to be an irresponsible bully.

Question 35

What was the result of the the USA’s communist witch hunt?

Answer 35

The USA’s reputation around the world was severely damaged by this communist witch hunt.

Question 36

Who was McCarthy’s ally during his communist hunt?

Answer 36

J. Edgar Hoover, director of the FBI.

Question 37

In the late 1940s and 1950s , how many files did the FBI keep on suspected communists, including prominent politicians and film stars?

Answer 37

The FBI kept 1 million files on suspected communists.

Question 38

How many names were on the Hollywood blacklist?

Answer 38

The Hollywood blacklist contained over 150 names and those on the list were sacked from their jobs as a result.