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 McCarthy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07buRRJ6s4k

McCarthyism Terms

• McCarthyism- Joseph McCarthy’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

McCarthy’s Downfall• 1954-McCarthy started looking for spies in the U.S.

Army• In televised hearings, McCarthy began bullying

military officers• Finally, McCarthy exposed a young lawyer in

Joseph Welch’s law firm for previously being involved in a Communist-front organization

• Appalled by this, and McCarthy’s prior behavior, Welch reprimanded him

• Standing up to McCathy voiced many Americans’ concerns and his public opinion plummeted• Later that year, McCarthy 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=IKqXu-5jw60End 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