Cold War Conflicts The Cold War at Home

Fear of Communism Concern for security of the United States against communism About 100,000 Americans claimed membership to communist party during World War II Fear loyalty to Soviet Union and communism first

Loyalty Review Board Strongly anti-Communist Republicans started to accuse Truman of being soft on communism March 1947, Truman issued an executive order setting up the Federal Employee Loyalty Program and the Loyalty Review Board Investigate government employees Dismiss those disloyal From 1947-51 The loyalty boards investigated 3.2 million employees and dismissed 212 2900 resigned because they didn’t want to be investigated; violation of rights Individuals under investigation not allowed to see evidence

Loyalty Review Board

The House Un-American Activities Committee HUAC first made headlines when they investigated the movie industry Committee believed Communists were sneaking propaganda into films Subpoenaed 43 witness from the Hollywood film industry Many were cooperative; 10 were not Hollywood Ten: ten men who refused to testify because they believed the hearings were unconstitutional Sent to prison

Hollywood Ten continued… In response to the hearings, Hollywood executives instituted a blacklist of people who they condemned for having a communist background Approximately 500 actors, writers, producers and directors blacklisted; careers ruined

Hollywood Ten continued…

The McCarran Act Congress did not think the Loyalty Review Board went far enough McCarran International Security Act Unlawful to plan any action that might lead to the establishment of a totalitarian dictatorship in the United States Vetoed by Truman “In a free country, we punish men for the crimes they commit, but never for the opinions they have.”

The McCarran Act continued..

Spy Cases Alger Hiss 1948 Former communist spy, Whitaker Chambers, accused Alger Hiss of spying for the Soviets Chambers produced microfilm of gov’t documents typed on Hiss’ typewriter Sent to jail (perjury) Nixon

Spy Cases continued… The Rosenbergs In September 1949, Americans had learned the Soviets had exploded an atomic bomb People wandered if Communist supporters in the US leaked the secret Physicist Klaus Fuchs admitted giving the Soviets information and implicated Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

Spy Cases continued… Rosenbergs denied the charges They had been minor activists in the American Communist Party Plead the Fifth Amendment Believed they were prosecuted because they were Jewish and had radical beliefs Media influence Death sentence (electric chair) First Americans executed for espionage

The Rosenbergs

McCarthy’s Witch Hunt Senator Joseph McCarthy: Republican from Wisconsin Reputation for being an ineffective legislator Needed a winning issue for reelection Charged the Communists were taking over government

McCarthy’s Tactics McCarthyism: making attacks on suspected Communists in the early 1950s Now, term is used to refer to unfair tactic of accusing people of disloyalty without providing evidence Claimed to have names of Communists in government (never named one); Made one unsupported accusation, after another Charged the Democrats were guilty of 20 years of treason for allowing communist infiltration Did his name-calling in the Senate to avoid slander suits

McCarthy’s Tactics continued… Republicans did little to stop his attacks because they believed they could win the 1952 election if people saw him purging Communists Group of six senators who spoke out Passage on page #620 by Senator Margaret Chase Smith

McCarthy’s Downfall Accusations against the US Army Nationally televised investigation People saw him bullying witnesses Condemned for improper conduct; “Brought dishonor and disrepute to Senate” Died of alcoholism

Other Communist Measures Others beside McCarthy made it their mission to root communism out of American society By 1953, 39 states passed laws making illegal to advocate the violent overthrow of the government Violation of free speech The loyalty oath after investigations of a multitude of people (librarians, wrestlers, union leaders, reporters, scientists, etc.)