Red Scare Flashcards
what was the red scare?
a period where Americans were gripped by fear /suspicion of communism
why was there a red scare?
Usa has an ANTI COMMUNIST VIEW, bc of a complex interaction between the INTERNATIONAL SITUATION and INTERNAL situation in USA
INTERNATIONAL SITUATION around red scare (1950s)
4mks
fear of communism rose bc :
SOVIET BOMB - 1949 (USSR developed it)
COMMUNIST CHINA - 1949
SOUTHEAST ASIA - communism rose
THE KOREAN WAR - 1950 , communist north invaded south
-USA won UN support until china supported north
NATIONAL SITUATION OF USA DURING RED SCARE ?
- after war there were INTERNAL POLITICAL /SOCIAL DIVISIONS
- rival politicians wondered if their opponents were communist
what did FBI do in red scare?
Federeal Bureau of Investigation - director was very anti communist (J. Edgar Hoover)
- 1947, set up Federal Employee Loyalty Program aloowing FBI boards to ivestugate givernment emplyees to see if they were communist
1947-1950 3 mill ppl investigated, 212 staff forced out of jobs
what did HUAC do in red scare?
-1930s , congress made the HOUSE UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE , made of members from house committee - suspected ppl who were communist
what is the HISS CASE?
in 1948, Whittaker Chambers faced HUAC and admitted to being communist in 1930s and said Alger Hiss (high rank member of US state department) was also a member.
- Hiss accussed him of lying/Truman dismised the case
- Richard Nixon found evidence that Hiss knew Chambers/passed info to USSR during war
- hiss was tried for PERJURY in 1950
what was the Mccaran Act?
Hiss/Rosenberg cases led to Cingress passing INTERNAL SECURITY ACT (1950)- McCarran Act
- truman opposed it bc he beliveed it mocked USA’s Bill of Rights , but 80% were in favour of the Act
what were the main measures the McCarran act encompassed?
-all communist organisations has to be registered with US government
-communits couldnt have US passport or work in defence industry
-set up detention camps in emergency cases
why did ppl support McCarthyism ?
FEAR - lots were arrested by HUAC/FBI
(324 hollywood stars blacklisted) - made ppl woryy this could happen to them so accused others
ANTI COMMUNIST BELIEFS - HUAC supported anti communist beliefs
- hollywood/companies didnt employ communists - 212 lost jobs
- science fiction films (the war of the worlds), showed communist threat on USA
McCARTHY’S REPUTATION - had support from Republicans and the 1952 Senate elections so no reason not to believe him
MEDIA INTEREST - big names from Hollywood protested at the treatment of actors/writers and producers and had slight paranoia in movie industry , which made public gossip and think communism was awful
why did McCarthy become unpopular?
McCARTHY’S REPUTATION - he began to attck the army/his accusations become more ridiculous
- humiliated by lawyer of army (Joseph Welch)
MEDIA INTEREST - Ed Murrow televised footage of McCarthy and his methods of investigation
- newspapers such as Washington Post , New York times produced sensibke/balacned reporting hat damaged his credibility
- 1952, playwriter, arthur Miller, wrote the CRUCIBLE - condemed the methods of McCarthy in Witch Hunts
