The Cold War at Home 22 3

The Cold War at Home 22. 3

The Paranoia Begins • In 1954, Igor Gouzenko revealed that Soviets were infiltrating orgs. and gov’t agencies to get information on the atomic bombs • This sparked the Red Scare • Gouzenko’s defection led to a general fear and anxiety of Communist subversion

The Federal Government Heightens Anxiety • Instead of calming the public’s fears, Truman created the loyalty review program – Screened federal employees to ensure their allegiance to the U. S. – No actual evidence found by this program of Communist subversion • 6 million federal employees screened for their loyalty (difficult to define, right? ) • F. B. I. Director, J. Edgar Hoover, broadened the House Un-American Activities Committee to hold public hearings to reveal those trying to subvert the U. S. • The F. B. I. infiltrated suspicious groups and wiretapped telephones

J. Edgar Hoover

Discussion Question How might the federal government have contributed to the Red Scare?

The Rosenbergs • The U. S. did not think the Soviets had the capability to develop an atomic weapon on their own • After a British scientist admitted leaking secrets to the Soviets, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were arrested for heading a Soviet spy ring • The couple was convicted of espionage and executed in 1953

Was this legitimate? • The conviction of the Rosenbergs was hotly debated • However, there was a source of evidence • Project Venona broke the Soviet spy code • This allowed the federal government to collect evidence of Soviet espionage

Sen. Joseph Mc. Carthy http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=07 bu. RRJ 6 s 4 k

Mc. Carthyism Terms • Mc. Carthyism- Joseph Mc. Carthy’s practice of publicizing accusations of political disloyalty or subversion with insufficient regard to evidence • Blacklisting-A list of persons or organizations that have incurred disapproval or suspicion or are to be boycotted or otherwise penalized

Mc. Carthy’s Downfall • 1954 -Mc. Carthy started looking for spies in the U. S. Army • In televised hearings, Mc. Carthy began bullying military officers • Finally, Mc. Carthy exposed a young lawyer in Joseph Welch’s law firm for previously being involved in a Communist-front organization • Appalled by this, and Mc. Carthy’s prior behavior, Welch reprimanded him • Standing up to Mc. Cathy voiced many Americans’ concerns and his public opinion plummeted • Later that year, Mc. Carthy was censured

Life During the Cold War

Living in Fear • The threat of communism deeply impacted the lives of everyday Americans • Communists could be anywhere!

Bomb Shelters

Bomb Shelters

Duck and Cover http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=IKq. Xu-5 jw 60 End at 2: 40

A Different Perspective • Despite the hysteria that was sweeping the country, the postwar years were also marked by extreme prosperity • As the presidential election of 1952 approached, Americans sought a candidate who could make them feel secure