Chapter 1 : The Red Scare in the - History Learning Site Communism is a word that has a hugely negative connonation in the U.S., and that's because of the fear it inflicted on Americans. There were many causes of communism fears in the U.S., but the biggest ones were the Red Scare and McCarthyism, as well as the implications of the Cold War. Why is American fear of Communism a cause of the Cold War? Why did so many Americans fear the spread of communism? The Americans hate communism, as capitalism is the direct opposite of communism, and America is based on "the American dream" which is basically the forwarded of ones own lifeâ and career though industry, and consumerism. This being said communism is not without its faults, as while communism is based on a good solid foundation of everyone being equal, it is open to abuse as is the nature of humans. Americans greatest fear is to be equal, as it does not fit in with the American psyche of having the biggest and best of everything. And also have a fear of anything which is not "the norm," which I can see from a British point of view. While all governments control people and property to an extent, the amount of control under an average communist regime makes everything else look like anarchy. Why was there a fear of communism? It became the Russian Federation on the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was by far the largest sub-national entity in the world by area and second in population after the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The capital was Moscow, which also served as the capital of the Soviet Union. This pertains to the Domino Theory. The USA feared that if one country fell to communism, then all the neighboring countries would also fall - like dominoes. Why did Americans fear the communism hysteria in the Cold War? If Communist forces were allowed tospread and expand their power may exceed that of the â United States. This frightened Americans because their political systems werefundamentally different, meaning that conflict would be inevitable. Also, the Russians had acquired information through a spy and haddeveloped nuclear weapons. Russians had demonstrated their distrustfor the United States, and were prepared to use their bombs onamericans. How did the cold war and the fear of communism influence American life in the s? Special covery secret organizations were formed. Why do Americans have an instinctive fear of communism? Page 1
Chapter 2 : The Fear of Communism in Us Essay Example Graduateway Figures such as McCarthy and Hoover fanned the flames of fear by wildly exaggerating that possibility. As the Red Scare intensified, its political climate turned increasingly conservative. During the s, a large spark feared many Americans dramatically. This large spark was called the Red Scare. Communism is basically a theory based on the ownership of all property and goods by the area as a whole. This type of government would obliterate a lot of the liberties that we as Americans enjoy. Countless States and America seen so many examples of Communism states in trouble, and they do not desire that to happen to them. People were tremendously horrified of Communism seizing above in the United States because of the terrifying reports that were pending out of Russia after the Bolsheviks seized manipulation in People were seized and tortured, frequently being implicated to the police by preceding friends or even relations associates, thousands of people capitulated their property and were whichever shot instantly or dispatched to labor camps whereas they starved to death. One man tremendously impacted the fear of communism. His name is Joseph Raymond McCarthy. McCarthy started the Red Scare by saying many politicians were communists. He accused a mass amount of people, including other politicians, actors, musicians,, and many more as communists and that would just about destroy their these accusations would end their careers. There was no proof pointing them towards being a communist, but because of were so afraid of communism, they just believed whatever McCarthy said. McCarthy led a senate committee to investigate those who were accused of communists. He even led a council group investigating the communists. As days went by, McCarthy decided to blame the Military of having a copious amount of communists. The Military then collected plenty of facts and evidence to point out that he was lying and openly humiliated him on the nationwide period, that lead to his downfall. But that was not beforehand he damaged the occupations of hundreds if not thousands of people. In March, the Truman doctrine stated that America was going to be utterly involved in world affairs, mainly to stop the spread of communism. A few months after the Truman doctrine was established, the Marshall plan was set up striving to aid damaged countries; however its other significant strives was to stop the spread of communism. In the communist Chinese dominated power in China and as an example of the domino effect. Then North Korea became a communist Page 2
Chapter 3 : Anti-communism - Wikipedia In, anti-communist fear, and fear of American traitors, was aggravated by the Chinese Communists winning the Chinese Civil War against the Western-sponsored Kuomintang, their founding of the People's Republic of China, and later Chinese intervention in the Korean War () against U.S. ally South Korea. This chapter outlines how Australians were concerned that communism would undermine Australian plans for a peaceful and secure future. Post-war After such a long period of world war and economic strife, Australians, like the rest of the world, wanted security and peace. While post-war Australia enjoyed economic and political stability, it was also a time of fear and tension. There was an underlying concern of this suburban security being taken away. See image 1 The s and s were dominated by alleged communist plots to undermine Australian society. Like Britain, and especially America, Australia was obsessed with exposing communists and communist plots in all areas of society. For Australians fear took two forms: The propaganda now changed to target communists. Australia had become more multicultural in the years since the War. There was a huge influx of immigrants from Europe, many fleeing the horrors of the Second World War and newly-established communist regimes in Eastern Europe. Foreigners from communist countries were viewed with suspicion. The stories of communist plots fell on fertile ground and many Australians became scared of the influence of the Communist Party of Australia CPA. The Communist Party had been banned at the outbreak of World War Two but, when the Soviet Union joined the War, regained much support and was allowed to resume activities. The CPA continued to grow throughout the s, however, it was never as great a threat as the government portrayed. Although the CPA was in control of a few trade unions, that strength never translated to success at elections. See image 3 A number of strikes affected Australian industry in the late s, and the communists were alleged to be responsible. Historians disagree as to how much control the CPA exercised over the strikes. The popular perception was that the CPA was trying to destabilise the country. The federal elections were held against this backdrop of fear, tension, conservativism and longing for security. Communism was one of the major factors behind the Labor defeat. In communism was high on the election agenda as Korea was on the verge of civil war, China had become communist and Russia had exploded its first atomic bomb. Communism was one of the major factors behind the Labor defeat at the federal election. The judges said there was not enough evidence of a threat to Australia. The government could not invoke the need to defend Australia against communism to gain more legislative power. See animation 1 See image 4 Robert Menzies then held a referendum to attempt to change the Commonwealth constitution so the Communist Party Dissolution Act could come into force. The Referendum asked the Australian public if they were willing to grant the federal government more legislative power, so the government could deal with the threat of communism. The referendum was defeated because the government seemed to be trying to extend its power too far, not because Australians wanted to save the CPA. The defeat of the referendum did not mean the end of the hunt for communists within Australian society. The s saw an increase in the fear of communism. Page 3
Chapter 4 : Why did communism cause such fear in the United States in the postwar period? enotes The Red Scare died down in early, but fear of communism did not go away completely. In the late s and s, fear of communist revolution was again center stage in Americans' minds. Under a true communist system, all people are to be equal politically, economically, and socially. The people are supposed to own everything communally, from businesses, to food, and beyond. No social classes are to exist under a true communist system, as all people receive the same quality and quantity of possessions as everyone else. Historically, many Americans have feared communism. This fear skyrocketed during World War I. As this war was ending, a fear-driven movement known as the first Red Scare began to spread across the United States. In, Russia had undergone the Bolshevik Revolution. As a result of this event, that country tried to establish a communist government and withdrew its troops from the war effort. Americans believed that Russia had let down its allies, including the United States, by pulling out of the war. In addition, communism was, in theory, an expansionist ideology, spread through revolution. Many Americans feared that the communists in Russia, known as the Soviet Union following the Bolshevik Revolution, hoped to spread their ideology all over the world. Both the federal government and state governments reacted to that fear by attacking potential communist threats. They used acts passed during the war, such as the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act, to prosecute suspected communists. The Ohio legislature passed a law known as the Criminal Syndicalism Act, which allowed the state to prosecute people who used or advocated criminal activity or violence in order to obtain political change or to affect industrial conditions. Ultimately, these violations led to a decrease in support for government actions. This overwhelming fear of communism returned at the end of World War II. This was an undeclared war between the Soviet Union and the United States. It is called the Cold War because neither the Soviet Union nor the United States officially declared war on each other, although both sides clearly struggled to prevent the other side from spreading its economic and political systems around the globe. In reality, the Cold War resulted from a failure to communicate between the two sides and preconceived notions that each side had of the other one. Americans feared that the Soviet Union hoped to spread communism all over the world, overthrowing both democratic and capitalist institutions as it went. Page 4
Chapter 5 : The Fear of Communism by Sian Nielsen on Prezi This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Visit Website Such ideas were not totally unfounded. As apprehension about Soviet influence grew as the Cold War heated up, U. On March 21,, President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order, also known as the Loyalty Order, which mandated that all federal employees be analyzed to determine whether they were sufficiently loyal to the government. Yet it was only one of many questionable activities that occurred during the period of anticommunist hysteria known as the Red Scare. Under pressure from the negative publicity aimed at their studios, movie executives created blacklists that barred suspected radicals from employment; similar lists were also established in other industries. Another congressional investigator, U. McCarthy of Wisconsin, became the person most closely associated with the anticommunist crusadeâ and with its excesses. McCarthy used hearsay and intimidation to establish himself as a powerful and feared figure in American politics. He leveled charges of disloyalty at celebrities, intellectuals and anyone who disagreed with his political views, costing many of his victims their reputations and jobs. The FBI and its longtime director, J. Edgar Hoover, aided many of the legislative investigations of communist activities. An ardent anticommunist, Hoover had been a key player in an earlier, though less pervasive, Red Scare in the years following World War I The information obtained by the FBI proved essential in high-profile legal cases, including the conviction of 12 prominent leaders of the American Communist Party on charges that they had advocated the overthrow of the government. Hysteria and Growing Conservatism Public concerns about communism were heightened by international events. In, the Soviet Union successfully tested a nuclear bomb and communist forces led by Mao Zedong took control of China. The following year saw the start of the Korean War, which engaged U. The advances of communism around the world convinced many U. Figures such as McCarthy and Hoover fanned the flames of fear by wildly exaggerating that possibility. As the Red Scare intensified, its political climate turned increasingly conservative. Elected officials from both major parties sought to portray themselves as staunch anticommunists, and few people dared to criticize the questionable tactics used to persecute suspected radicals. Membership in leftist groups dropped as it became clear that such associations could lead to serious consequences, and dissenting voices from the left side of the political spectrum fell silent on a range of important issues. In judicial affairs, for example, support for free speech and other civil liberties eroded significantly. This trend was symbolized by the U. Supreme Court ruling in Dennis v. United States, which said that the free-speech rights of accused Communists could be restricted because their actions presented a clear and present danger to the government. Americans also felt the effects of the Red Scare on a personal level, and thousands of alleged communist sympathizers saw their lives disrupted. They were hounded by law enforcement, alienated from friends and family and fired from their jobs. While a small number of the accused may have been aspiring revolutionaries, most others were the victims of false allegations or had done nothing more than exercise their democratic right to join a political party. Though the climate of fear and repression began to ease in the late s, the Red Scare has continued to influence political debate in the decades since and is often cited as an example of how unfounded fears can compromise civil liberties. Start your free trial today. Page 5
Chapter 6 : Red Scare - Wikipedia The Fear of Communism Following World War II, there was an increased fear of Communism in Australia. The Menzies government in the 's presented strategies that were a direct echo of the penetrating fear of communism in Australia. Political scientist, and former member of the Communist Party Murray B. Levin wrote that the Red Scare was "a nationwide anti-radical hysteria provoked by a mounting fear and anxiety that a Bolshevik revolution in America was imminentâ a revolution that would change Church, home, marriage, civility, and the American way of Life". When the Industrial Workers of the World IWW backed several labor strikes in and, the press portrayed them as "radical threats to American society" inspired by "left-wing, foreign agents provocateurs". Those on the side of the IWW claim that the press "misrepresented legitimate labor strikes" as "crimes against society", "conspiracies against the government", and "plots to establish communism". A bomb blast badly damaged the residence of Attorney General Mitchell Palmer in the spring of In April, authorities discovered a plot for mailing 36 bombs to prominent members of the U. Attorney General Alexander Mitchell Palmer, and immigration officials. On June 2,, in eight cities, eight bombs simultaneously exploded. One target was the Washington, D. Attorney General Palmer, where the explosion killed the bomber, who evidence indicated was an Italian-American radical from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Afterwards, Palmer ordered the U. Justice Department to launch the Palmer Raids â Law professor David D. Constitution via Palmer-authorized "illegal acts" and "wanton violence". When it failed to happen, he was ridiculed and lost much credibility. Strengthening the legal criticism of Palmer was that fewer than deportations were substantiated with evidence, out of the thousands of resident aliens arrested and deported. Although both anarchists and Communists were suspected as being responsible for the bombing, ultimately no individuals were indicted for the bombing in which 38 died and were injured. The restrictions included free speech limitations. Regardless of ideological gradation, the Red Scare did not distinguish between communism, anarchism, socialism, or social democracy. McCarthyism coincided with increased popular fear of communist espionage consequent to a Soviet Eastern Europe, the Berlin Blockade â 49, the Chinese Civil War, the confessions of spying for the Soviet Union given by several high-ranking U. In Canada, the Kellockâ Taschereau Commission investigated espionage after top secret documents concerning RDX, radar and other weapons were handed over to the Soviets by a domestic spy-ring. Edgar Hoover and the Central Intelligence Agency. Hoover had instigated and aided some of the investigations of members of the CIA with "leftist" history, like Cord Meyer. They had differing opinions on the nature of the alliance with the Soviet Union, conflicts over jurisdiction, conflicts of personality, the OSS hiring of communists and criminals as agents, etc. Smith Act trials of communist party leaders By the s, communism had become an attractive economic ideology, particularly among labor leaders and intellectual elites. Although principally deployed against communists, the Smith Act was also used against right-wing political threats such as the German-American Bund, and the perceived racial disloyalty of the Japanese-American population, cf. For this reason, James P. In March, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order, creating the "Federal Employees Loyalty Program" establishing political-loyalty review boards who determined the "Americanism" of Federal Government employees, and recommended termination of those who had confessed to spying for the Soviet Union, as well as some suspected of being "Un-American". Kennedy, [15] as well as that of Joseph McCarthy. Congress and which modified a great deal of law to restrict civil liberties in the name of security. President Truman declared the act a "mockery of the Bill of Rights" and a "long step toward totalitarianism" because it represented a government restriction on the freedom of opinion. He vetoed the act but his veto was overridden by Congress. The Second Red Scare profoundly altered the temper of American society. Abundant accounts in narrative forms contained themes of the infiltration, subversion, invasion, and destruction of American society by unâ American thought. In science fiction movies like The Thing, tales of alien humanoid beings abounded. Even a baseball team, the Cincinnati Reds, temporarily renamed themselves the "Cincinnati Redlegs" to avoid the money-losing and career-ruining connotations inherent in being ball-playing "Reds" communists. In, the American government revealed details of the Venona Project, which when combined with the opening of the Page 6
USSR ComIntern archives, provided substantial validation of intelligence gathering, outright spying, and policy influencing, by Americans on behalf of the Soviet Union, from through Page 7
Chapter 7 : Tennessee 4 Me - Dig Deeper: Why did Americans fear communism? While fear of communism was common in the s, the Cold War with the USSR solidified America's collective distrust and fear of communism. Aspects of communism seem to be at odds with the Constitution. Communism also threatens capitalism. In the s, anti-communist sentiment was high in the United States. The Fear of Communism in Us Essay - Paper Example The Fear of Communism in Us Essay The meaning of communism is defined as economic and social system in which all property and resources are collectively owned by a classless society and not by individual citizens - The Fear of Communism in Us Essay introduction. There has never been a communist state but the old Soviet Union, China, Cuba and North Korea would probably say differently. The Americans feared Soviet control over Eastern Europe. However, the Soviets were strong in maintaining their presence on Eastern Europe as a way to preserve their dominance in spreading communism worldwide. McCarthy even accused President Truman of being a communist. The Soviet Union blockaded the Western sectors of Germany and formed the Warsaw Pact, which made a unified military organization within the Soviet-bloc countries. Joseph Stalin eventually lifted the blockade and officially left Germany divided into two countries East and West Germany. There were many key people throughout the Cold War. Dean Acheson was important in developing U. He helped maintain the Western Alliance between Great Britain and France and was advisor to four presidents. Kim Philby was a British intelligence officer and considered the most successful Soviet Union double agent. Since America was rumored to have dominated the Atomic bomb, the Soviets exploded their first bomb in The Soviets supported the communist governments of China and North Korea, which ultimately led to the Korean War which lasted until The United Nations Security Council demanded that Communists stop fighting and withdraw to 38th parallel. North Korea ignored this demand. Forty-one countries sent military equipment, food and supplies and sixteen countries sent in troops. This offered wounded troops an increased survival rate of ninety seven percent. The Korean War was also one of the bloodiest in history where roughly one million South Koreans were killed and several million were left homeless. In, the Soviets began installing missiles in Cuba, which were intended to be launched on U. A committee was formed under the supervision of Robert Kennedy in order to determine the best course of action. After demands by JFK to remove the missiles and their sites, Khrushchev counter-offered by saying he would remove and destroy them only if JFK would publically announce that the U. At the same time, JFK started sending military advisors over to Vietnam. The theory states that if one country falls to communism, the surrounding countries will also fall. By the end of, almost 12, advisors and helicopter pilots were told to avoid military combat because the U. Just two years later, a group of American Navy ships lied and said they were attacked by a group of North Viet Cong in the Gulf of Tonkin incident. By the end of, the amount of troops had increased to, under Lyndon B. Its mission was to demoralize the population of North Vietnam and to destroy the Ho Chi Minh Trail but both these were unsuccessful. During this operation,, tons of bombs were dropped and U. Because of the struggle between the Soviet and U. This lead to a major split between the Soviet Union and China, in turn shattering the unity of the communist bloc. Combinations of the Cold War events were a result of the U. For example, the U. We have been gained from this as our allies have helped us in our times of need. Therefore, we feel a responsibility to support them in developing a democratic country where peace, liberty and justice prosper. Choose Type of service. Page 8
Chapter 8 : What Are the Causes of Fear of Communism in the US? The Classroom The Roots of Fear. U.S. policy toward Communism at the close of World War II centered on containment. This policy led Americans to view Communism as a serious problem that had to be kept in check on distant shores. The United States Constitution guarantees freedoms such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of religion. The Bill of Rights in the Constitution protects these and other individual rights. But the government has not always honored all of the rights in the Constitution. In the seventeen hundreds, for example, President John Adams supported laws to stop Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic Party from criticizing the government. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln took strong actions to prevent newspapers from printing military news. And, during the nineteen fifties, Senator Joseph McCarthy accused innocent people of being communists and traitors. Some of the most serious government attacks on personal rights took place in nineteen nineteen and nineteen twenty. A number of government officials took sometimes unlawful actions against labor leaders, foreigners and others. These actions took place because of American fears about the threat of communism. Those fears were tied closely to the growth of the organized labor movement during World War One. There were a number of strikes during the war. More and more often, workers were willing to risk their jobs and join together to try to improve working conditions. President Woodrow Wilson had long supported organized labor. And he tried to get workers and business owners to negotiate peacefully. But official support for organized labor ended when strikes closed factories that were important to the national war effort. President Wilson and his advisers felt workers should put the national interest before their private interest. They told workers to wait until after the war to demand more pay and better working conditions. In general, American workers did wait. But when the war finally ended in nineteen eighteen, American workers began to strike in large numbers for higher pay. As many as two million workers went on strike in nineteen nineteen. There were strikes by house builders, meat cutters, and train operators. And there were strikes in the shipyards, the shoe factories and the telephone companies. Most striking workers wanted the traditional goals of labor unions: But a growing number of them also began to demand major changes in the economic system itself. They called for government control of certain private industries. Railroad workers, for example, wanted the national government to take permanent control of running the trains. Coal miners, too, demanded government control of their industry. And even in the conservative grain-farming states, two hundred thousand farmers joined a group that called for major economic changes. All these protests came as a shock to traditional Americans who considered their country to be the home of free business. They saw little need for labor unions. And they feared that the growing wave of strikes meant the United States faced the same revolution that had just taken place in Russia. After all, Lenin himself had warned that the Bolshevik Revolution would spread to workers in other countries. Several events in nineteen nineteen only increased this fear of violent revolution. A bomb exploded in the home of a senator from the southeastern state of Georgia. And someone even exploded a bomb in front of the home of Attorney General A. However, the most frightening event was a strike by police in Boston, Massachusetts. The policemen demanded higher wages. But the police chief refused to negotiate with them. As a result, the policemen went on strike. When they did, thieves began to break into unprotected homes and shops. Massachusetts Governor Calvin Coolidge finally had to call out state troops to protect the people. His action defeated the strike. Most of the policemen lost their jobs. All this was too much for many Americans. They began to accuse labor unions and others of planning a revolution. And they launched a forceful campaign to protect the country from these suspected extremists. Leaders of this campaign accused thousands of people of being communists, or "reds. Of course, most people were honestly afraid of revolution. They did not trust the many foreigners who were active in unions. And they were tired of change and social unrest after the bloody world war. A number of these Americans in different cities began to take violent actions against people and groups that they suspected of being communist extremists. In New York, a crowd of men in military uniforms attacked the office of a socialist newspaper. They beat the people working there and destroyed the equipment. In the western city of Centralia, Washington, four people were killed in a violent fight between union members and Page 9
their opponents. Riot police Public feeling was against the labor unions and political leftists. Many people considered anyone with leftist views to be a revolutionary trying to overthrow democracy. Many state and local governments passed laws making it a crime to belong to organizations that supported revolution. Twenty-eight states passed laws making it a crime to wave red flags. People also demanded action from the national government. President Wilson was sick and unable to see the situation clearly. He cared about little except his dream of the United States joining the new League of Nations. But Attorney General Palmer heard the calls for action. Palmer hoped to be elected president the next year. He decided to take strong actions to gain the attention of voters. Next, he ordered a series of raids to arrest leftist leaders. A number of these arrested people were innocent of any crime. But officials kept many of them in jail, without charges, for weeks. Palmer expelled from the country a number of foreigners suspected of revolutionary activity. He told reporters that communists were criminals who planned to overthrow everything that was good in life. Feelings of fear and suspicion extended to other parts of American life. Many persons and groups were accused of supporting communism. The Red Scare caused many innocent people to be afraid to express their ideas. They feared they might be accused of being a communist. But as quickly as the Red Scare swept across the country so, too, did it end in nineteen twenty. In just a few months, people began to lose trust in Attorney General Palmer. They became tired of his extreme actions. Republican leader Charles Evans Hughes and other leading Americans called for the Justice Department to obey the law in arresting and charging people. By the summer of nineteen twenty, the Red Scare was over. Even a large bomb explosion in New York in September did not change the opinion of most Americans that the nation should return to free speech and the rule of law. The Red Scare did not last long. But it was an important event. It showed that many Americans after World War One were tired of social changes. They wanted peace and business growth. Of course, the traditional way for Americans to show their feelings is through elections. And this growing conservatism of the nation showed itself clearly in the presidential election of nineteen twenty. That election will be the subject of our next program. Our program was written by David Jarmul. The narrators were Kay Gallant and Harry Monroe. You can find our series online with transcripts, MP3s, podcasts and images at voaspecialenglish. Page 10
Chapter 9 : Joseph McCarthy - HISTORY HARRY MONROE: Feelings of fear and suspicion extended to other parts of American life. Many persons and groups were accused of supporting communism. Why did Americans fear communism? This fear was fed by the news media and politicians who portrayed the Soviets as bent on world domination. In communist nations, people were not allowed to own land, follow their religious beliefs, or speak and act freely. Americans were afraid that the Soviets would take over the U. The idea was not to fight a war with the Soviets, but rather to keep them from extending their existing boundaries. American leaders believed that the Soviets were determined to impose its beliefs and control on the rest of the world. After the Soviets developed an atomic bomb with the help of information stolen from the U. This culminated in the execution of convicted spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, two former communists, in Other people, only accused of being communists, lost their jobs. Although these hunts for American communists, called McCarthyism, had waned by the mids, the term "communist" was applied to Civil Rights protesters and others who sought social change in America. Read how McCarthyism ended. A photograph of a comic book cover entitled "Is This Tomorrow: Photograph of Senator Joseph McCarthy, taken in Library of Congress A photograph of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, separated by a wire screen as they leave the courthouse after being found guilty of spying for the Soviet Union. The couple were Americans who had been accused of passing American atomic bomb secrets to the Soviets. They were both executed for their crime. They proclaimed their innocence until their death, and many people believed that they had been unfairly convicted. But in, an associate of Rosenberg admitted that they both had stolen secret information and passed it on to the Soviets. There is still some doubt that Mrs. It is titled "Red Channels. Many of these performers were blacklisted which meant that it was harder for them to find work. Photograph from the Authentic History Center online. Page 11