...Anticommunism and McCarthyism 1947-1954 Claudia Richey His/145 February 14, 2012 Kenneth Yates What was the “Cold War?” The subject researched for this paper is describing the Cold War or the Red Scare; others call it the Red Menace. The Red Scare was the most important political and diplomatic issue of the last half of the 20th Century. Cold War enemies were the United States and the Soviet Union. The Cold war got its name because both sides were terrified of a real war directly between the two major nuclear missile countries in the world. In a war nuclear weapons may destroy everything. So instead, they fought each other indirectly bringing the cold war of words to light. They played a game of chance with problems in different countries of the world. They used words as weapons. They threatened and denounced each other. Both sides tried to make each other look foolish. Senator Joseph McCarthy was the prime instigator of this conflict between America and the Soviet Union. Anticommunism and McCarthyism Differences Even though anticommunism and McCarthyism are usually placed together, they are not the same. The meanings of both seem similar but are have differences in the meanings. Anticommunism is beliefs, social values and political, opinions where one part of government holds all the power. McCarthyism accuses men and women unfairly of communism, destroying the reputation of these people. They were placed on what is called a “blacklist”. Because...
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...After World War II had ended, a new threat emerged against the U.S. Communism emerged from the Soviets and challenged the US in the Cold War. Along with Communism came fear that the U.S. would fall to the idea. McCarthyism and HUAC further worsened this fear. McCarthyism created the Red scare by pushing for persecution, radical ideas, and attention that McCarthy received from the press. McCarthy caused the Red Scare shortly after World War II with his political influences. McCarthy was a member of congress therefore he had a voice in the government and people listened to him. “When a great democracy is destroyed, it will not be because of enemies from without, but rather because of enemies from within.” McCarthy...
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...The Cold War Overview * Arms Race * Communism * Glossary and Terms * Space RaceMajor Events * Berlin Airlift * Suez Crisis * Red Scare * Berlin Wall * Bay of Pigs * Cuban Missile Crisis * Collapse of the Soviet UnionWars * Korean War * Vietnam War * Chinese Civil War * Yom Kippur War * Soviet Afghanistan War | People of the Cold War Western Leaders * Harry Truman (US) * Dwight Eisenhower (US) * John F. Kennedy (US) * Lyndon B. Johnson (US) * Richard Nixon (US) * Ronald Reagan (US) * Margaret Thatcher (UK)Communist Leaders * Joseph Stalin (USSR) * Leonid Brezhnev (USSR) * Mikhail Gorbachev (USSR) * Mao Zedong (China) * Fidel Castro (Cuba) | http://www.ducksters.com/history/cold_war/summary.php The Cold War Communism Communism is a type of government and philosophy. Its goal is to form a society where everything is shared equally. All people are treated equally and there is little private ownership. In a communist government, the government owns and controls most everything including property, means of production, education, transportation, and agriculture. History of Communism Karl Marx is considered the Father of Communism. Marx was a German philosopher and economist who wrote about his ideas in a book called the Communist Manifesto in 1848. His communist theories have also become known as Marxism. Marx described ten important aspects of a communist government: * No private property * A single central bank...
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...movements to try and keep the “Boogeyman” from trying to get into the United States. These movements were both commonly known as the Red Scare. This scare was willing to take anyone as it’s victim. Celebrities, politicians, or common Americans were all vulnerable to this phenomena that brought forth a Salem Witch Trial type of environment. The government of the United States of America tried to take many precautions, whether it was a success or failure, to try and prevent the spread of Communism in a country that is considered the greatest country on the Earth. Whenever there is a moment in history that brings on a mass hysteria, it shows what kind of people are really out there lurking around. This moment in history illustrates what happens during hysteria and what it makes people do in a time in which a common fear is shared amongst individuals of a society. “The scariest moment is always just before you start.” - Stephen King (269) This quote illustrates the moment in time just before the second Red Scare. Unlike the first Red Scare, this Red Scare had many components that provided more fear to the United States citizens. The citizens were not only in fear of the spread of communism, but they were also fearful of the United States Government coming to knock at their door. Let’s backtrack to how this whole event came about. World War II ended in 1945 and the United States and the USSR, or today’s Russia, were having political and...
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...Anticommunism and McCarthyism America has survived many wars including WWI and WWII the American people have also survived the Great Depression. During these wars and the Great Depression the American people faced new challenges that could destroy the countries foundation. The challenges in America were that of Anticommunism and McCarthyism, which led to the Red Scare. The Red Scare placed fear into the American people and changed Hollywood forever. In this paper the subject to explain is the differences between Anticommunism and McCarthyism. The media coverage during this period of American history is examined and the Red Scare is described. Anticommunism and McCarthyism are often referenced and described together when teaching this era in American history. Although there is a difference between the two, both terms are often misunderstood by many Americans. The Anticommunism and McCarthyism terms were created in the 1940s and 1950s and have become intertwined confusing many people concerning their meaning. The fact is that each of the terms is closely related, but there is a fundamental difference between the two definitions. Anti-communism is “a set of beliefs, social values, or political opinions that communism or a one party system form of government that holds all power, including the economy is not acceptable” (Baughman, 2001, p. 10). On the other hand, McCarthyism investigated and targeted “unfairly” individuals that were considered (suspected) communist...
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...massacre of almost two-dozen people. In turn, it was neighbor against neighbor, brother against sister, mother against daughter, when fear struck the hearts of the kind community of Salem their sense of loyalty went out the window, and it was every man, or woman, for themselves “Jess Blumberg”. The Crucible is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts during 1692. Miller wrote the play as an allegory for The Red Scare “Darwin Kim”. In both situations a society turned against itself in fear of something bigger than itself that they could not control. When there is something that a community can not comprehend, whether it be supposed magic or a form of government, there will be turmoil “Jess Blumberg”. Fear is a dominant force in this world. Throughout history it has killed civilians, hurt communities, and obliterated empires. In both The Salem Witch trials and the Red Scare it caused it caused people to turn against their neighbor and become self-destructive. The reason that Arthur Miller Wrote the crucible is because he wanted society to recognize the mistakes that it continues to make, and learn from them. It was a quintessential allegory in the...
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... 11/3/13 The Crucible as an Allegory English 101 In 1953, American playwright Arthur Miller produced a play titled, The Crucible. It takes place in 17th century Salem, a small town in colonial Massachusetts. The play focuses on the actual events known as the Salem Witch Trials, in which dozens of people in and around the town of Salem were wrongfully and chaotically accused of witchcraft, Satanism, and devil worship by a group of teenage girls. It is firmly established that the play is an allegory of the hysteria and chaos that took place throughout the events of the Red Scare in the United States during the Cold War; a period in which politicians and ring leaders also wrongfully accused numerous amounts of people for supporting communism. It makes perfect sense as to why Miller wrote The Crucible allegorically to these events, 1953 was a time in which American fear and madness concerning communism was frankly getting out of control, just as the experiences in Salem were in the 1690s. The Crucible is a historically fictitious adaption of the Salem Witch Trials which as previously stated, was an episode of unjust accusations of witchcraft/devil worship carried out by a group of female teens. In the play, the group of accusing teens is led by girl named Abigail Williams. In order to refocus the “heat” on another source in order...
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...one of which was an increased spending and growth of the federal government. The Cold War became almost a competition for the U.S. to show its strengths and power, it had to “one-up” the S.U. where ever it could. National Security began to consume a big part of the nation’s resources. In 1947, Congress passed the National Security Act. This created the Secretary of Defense as well as the Department of Defense. The CIA became a major role the new security act and the advising of the President on U.S. foreign policy. By the end of Truman’s presidency 10 percent of the national gross product were defense allocations. All of this was justified by the argument that these expenditures for the military programs and defense employed hundreds of thousands of American, backed big American businesses and helped with economic...
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...address the paranoid, hysterical political climate of the 50s? The Cold War began in 1947 between the USSR and the USA. After World War II, both countries began to distrust each other, as they knew the amount of power each country had in terms of nuclear weapons. Not only did they distrust each other, but they lacked a mutual understanding of each other’s culture. The USA believed in capitalism and the USSR believed in communism. This lack of mutual understanding caused mass paranoia within America as they feared that communists would infiltrate their society. This hysteria was known as the Red Scare which lead to “a range of actions that had a profound and enduring effect on U.S. government and society.” (Red Scare, 2013). During World War II “moviegoers learned to appreciate cinema for what it was: a powerful delivery system of ideology” (Doherty, 2003, p. 19) and after World War II “Soviet Communism and American Democracy, found its domestic expression in fierce debates over the subversive influence of the popular media.” (Doherty, 2003, p. 21). Hollywood was scrutinized first for allegedly using the film industry to influence the public about communism. The House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was formed in 1938, and it’s investigations were “frequently focused on exposing communists working inside the federal government or subversive elements working in the Hollywood film industry” (Red Scare, 2013). On September 21, 1947, HUAC “subpoenaed forty-three members...
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...WWII was a major historical event that shaped the United States and struck fear into its citizens. Soon following the end of WWII a new fear of the unknown began to develop within Americans which caused nationwide anxiety and panic. Many believed communism might be the next threat to challenge the United States. The growing sentiments of Senator Joseph McCarthy lead out to protect America’s freedom from communism, although his sweeping lash stripped freedoms from many of his fellow citizens. Strange as it may seem, in this period of American history both communism and McCarthyism threatened America; fear fueled the fire to a Red Scare glow before its flame would dwindle and smolder. In order to better understand these events, a more detailed look into history is needed to explain how this controversy and cultural phenomenon came to be. Understanding the Differences Is there a difference between anti-communism and McCarthyism? Despite the common belief that these two terms have the same meaning, there are indeed fundamental differences. Anti-communism can be understood as a set of beliefs, social values, or political opinions that a communist form of government is unacceptable and wrong. McCarthyism, on the other hand, was suspicious and it unfairly accused American citizens of being a communist. Lead by and named affectionately after Senator Joseph McCarthy, McCarthyism and its accusations violated American civil rights, destroyed reputations, caused employers to "blacklist"...
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...The 1950’s were a time of fear and paranoia within the United States. During this time Cold War tensions were beginning to intensify giving way to the infamous Red Scare and the communist allegations of Joseph McCarthy. In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, the communal American fear of communist subversion reached its peak, colloquially known as the Red Scare. At this time, fewer than 50,000 out of the 150 million people, less than 1%, living in the United States belonged to the communist party, however the country remained in a state of panic. As a result of this hysteria, a senator named Joseph McCarthy began making accusations against alleged communist infiltration of government agencies. Therefore, the term McCarthyism, coined by political cartoonist Herbert Block, came to mean the movement to expose Communist subversives in the government and other important public institutions from the late 1940s to the mid 1950s. A...
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...American foreign policy Americans war with Korea was to keep communism from spreading. The United States adopted the Marshall Plan which in turned earned billions of dollars in trading revenue (Brinkley, 2007). The Marshall Plan helps to aid its allies and rebuild and to prevent Soviet Union from expanding their communist beliefs (Brinkley, 2007). The Truman Doctrine allocated money to Greece and Turkey was also in need of assistance. One of the primary objectives of the foreign policy of the United States is the creation of conditions in which we and other nations will be able to work out a way of life free from intimidation (The Truman Doctrine, n.d.) . Red Scare The late 1940's would see the rise of the new Red Scare (Brinkley, 2007). He reintroduced America to the Red Scare, it stayed in the spotlight due to the coverage of Senator McCarthy, and the movement deemed McCarthyism keeping communism in minds of Americans (Tyrer, 2009). Many in Hollywood were "blacklisted" and never again worked in Hollywood. Red Scare in America struck fear into so many, and how one man could single handedly stir such controversy in Hollywood and for those in power in America. Senator Lehman stated, "This is not between Britain and the United States, but between McCarthyism and America's role of leadership in the free world Communism must be attacked with equal force since both seek national disunity and destruction of freedom (Tyrer, 2009).” B.I. (1975), wrote “the HUAC’s Hollywood...
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...The Powerful: Joseph McCarthy Imagine being a communist during 1950-1954 when Joseph R. McCarthy hated all communists. He was very powerful against them. Joseph R. McCarthy, a Senator from Wisconsin,was the leader of this in the United States of America. Other people that had to do with McCarthyism was the government. McCarthy's point of this was to get all of the communists out of America. Because the Senator of Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy was powerful and the Cold War was in full effect, McCarthyism changed many people's lives. One cause of why people changed their lives was how powerful McCarthy was. According to the author of History.com, “Senator McCarthy spent almost five years trying in vain to expose communists and other left-wing ‘loyalty risks’ in the...
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...The second Red Scare alludes to the fear of communism that pierced American culture, society, and politics, during the beginning of the Cold War. This episode of political repression lasted longer than the Red Scare that followed the Bolshevik Revolution. It was known as “McCarthyism” after Senator Joseph McCarthy, who made himself famous in 1950 by claiming that large numbers of Communists had wormed their way into the United States. The second Red Scare outlasted McCarthy (Red Scare). Both of these sources are part of this second Red Scare. The Rosenberg’s, Julius and Ethel, were arrested in 1950 (charged with espionage). Julius was a member of the American Communist Party and he was arrested in July, and Ethel was arrested a couple of...
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...McCarthyism McCarthyism originated in the late 1940’s during the Second Red Scare period when Senator Joseph McCarthy began making rash accusations of treason and such crimes in fear of Communist influence on American culture. A spectrum of actions resulted from this irrational, growing fear of Communism. The Red Scare began after World War II and carried out tensions from the Cold War between the two world superpowers. The House Un-American Activities Committee was created in 1938 to monitor Communist actions. This committee sought to expose any suspected Communist supporters living in the United States. Many suspected communists lost their jobs, homes, families and were even imprisoned. Government officials, Hollywood stars, and educators were targeted mostly by these exaggerated accusations. Many well-known and appreciated people were subjected to testify their beliefs, involvement with and general knowledge of the Communist Party in the United States. The Hollywood “blacklist” included those who could not be employed due to their supposed affiliations with the Communist party. The “Hollywood Ten” were a group of ten hollywood stars subpoenaed by the HUAC that took a stand and tried to defend their first amendment rights to freedom of speech and the freedom to assemble. The Committee failed to see the value in their argument and sentenced them all to six to twelve months of imprisonment. All those who were accused after the Hollywood Ten case plead the fifth and became...
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