Do Now: 2/24 Define Hysteria. Analyze the cartoon “Fire”

“Fire!”

Fear of Communist Influence Fueled by Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and Communist takeover of China During World War II- Communist party claimed 80,000 Republicans claimed Truman was being soft on communism Truman set up Federal Employee Loyalty Program –Loyalty Review Board

Loyalty Review Board Subversion- Effort to secretly weaken a society and overthrow its government Purpose to investigate government employees and dismiss those found disloyal Attorney general drew up list of 91 “subversive” organizations

Loyalty Review Board Executive Order –Investigated 3.2 million employees –Dismissed 212 as security risks –2,900 resigned Violation of constitutional rights

House Un-American Activities Committee HUAC Investigated Communist influence in the movie industry Propaganda in films? Subpoenaed 43 witnesses in Sept –Many “friendly” (Walt Disney, Ronald Reagan, Gary Cooper) –“Unfriendly”- witnesses refused to testify

“Hollywood Ten” Decided not to cooperate  sent to prison Hollywood issued blacklist –List of people condemned for having Communist background 500 actors, writers, producers, directors Careers ruined –Some worked under different names

Elia Kazan Director- On the Waterfront ; Street Car Named Desire Testified in front of HUAC Former member of Communist party “Named names”  to save career honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement –Some actors refused to stand/clap

McCarran Internal Security Act Loyalty Review board did not go far enough Passed McCarran Act to replace it Unlawful to plan any action that would lead to establishment of totalitarian government Truman believed it is wrong to punish men for opinions Congress enacted law over Truman’s veto

Spy Cases Alger Hiss Case –U.S. State Department official (United Nations) –Time magazine editor and former Communist spy, Whittaker Chambers accused Hiss of being Communist agent Pumpkin Papers- Chambers produced microfilms in carved out pumpkin that proved claim Too late to charge him w/ espionage Charged with perjury  sent to jail 5 years

Richard Nixon Examining Pumpkin Papers

The Rosenbergs Sept. 3, Soviets exploded an atomic bomb German-born physicist Klaus Fuchs admitted giving Soviet Union information about America’s atomic bomb Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were named in the Fuchs case (minor activists in the American Communist Party)

The Rosenbergs Rosenbergs- NY Jewish couple Accused of heading spy ring  denied charges and pleaded 5 th Amendment Claimed they were persecuted for being Jewish and being radicals Found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death

The Rosenbergs People all over world appealed for clemency  case upheld in the Supreme Court Executed June st U.S. citizens executed for espionage Project Venona –cracked 3,000 Soviet spy codes –Strong evidence of guilt of Rosenbergs –Was Ethel involved at all?

McCarthy’s “Witch Hunt” Senator Joseph McCarthy- Wisconsin Senator –Needed winning issue to be reelected in 1952 –Charged Communists were taking over government McCarthyism= unfair tactic of accusing people of disloyalty without providing evidence

McCarthy “ I have here in my hand a list of 205, a list of names made known to the secretary of state as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department.”

McCarthy Never actually produced single name Accused Democrats of being guilty of “20 years” of treason for allowing Communist infiltration  Republicans did not speak out against McCarthy’s attacks One small group of six senators did speak out- Margaret Chase Smith

Declaration of Conscience “ I speak as a Republican. I speak as a woman. I speak as a United States senator. I speak as an American… I am not proud of the way in which the Senate has been made a publicity platform for irresponsible sensationalism. I am not proud of the reckless abandon in which unproved charges have been hurled from this side of the aisle.”

Edward Murrow, See It Now (March 9, 1954) The line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one and the junior Senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep into our own history and our doctrine and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes which were for the moment unpopular. This is no time for men who oppose Senator McCarthy's methods to keep silent. We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result.

McCarthy’s Downfall April- June, Army-McCarthy Hearings Made accusations against U.S. army Nationally televised Senate investigation –36 Days –Bullying of witnesses  cost him public support –Army’s attorney Joseph Welch “ Have you no sense of decency?” McCarthy looked like fool Senate censured McCarthy (formal disapproval) Death (alcoholism) McCarthy_Hearings