2. Growing Fear of Communism
Soviet Atomic Weapons Communist China
• In September 1949 Truman • Communists in China had
announced that the Soviet gained nearly full control of
Union had detonated an the country.
atomic bomb.
• The Nationalist government
• This was a shock to the (supported by U.S.) of Chiang
nation. Kai-shek fled to Taiwan
• Truman began to strengthen • China now controlled by
the nation’s military against a Communist Party under the
possible Soviet nuclear leadership of Mao Zedong.
threat.
• Americans worried that China
increased the Communist
threat to the U.S.
3. Fighting Communism at Home
• House Un-American Activities Committee
investigated radical groups in the United States
– Focused on battling communism
– Created in the 1930’s
– Most famous investigation
• HUAC collected names of 10 Hollywood writers and
directors thought to have radical political views
• The “Hollywood Ten” refused to answer questions and
were arrested for contempt
5. Fighting Communism at Home
• President Truman felt he
had to take action b/c of
pressure from Republicans
• Created a plan to
investigate all federal
employees and bar those
were found to be disloyal
from federal employment.
– 3 million people
investigated
– 200 found to be disloyal
6. Fighting Communism at Home
The Smith Act The McCarran Act
• Passed in 1940 • Passed in 1950
• Made it a crime to call for • Required communist
the overthrow of the U.S. organizations to register
government or belong to an with the U.S. government
organization that did so
• Established a board to
• Upheld by court in 1951
investigate Communist
Dennis vs. U.S.
involvement
– Justified limits on free speech
• Prevented communists and
• Communist officials
radicals from entering U.S.
convicted
7. Fighting Communism at Home
• Spy cases fueled fear
of communism
• Alger Hiss - accused
of being part of
1930’s plot to place
Communists inside
the government
• Couldn’t be charged
with spying
• Later convicted for
lying under oath
8. Fighting Communism at Home
Klaus Fuchs Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
• Manhattan Project scientist • Accused leading a spy ring
who gave atomic bomb • Convicted of conspiracy and
information to the Soviets executed in 1953
9. Senator Joseph McCarthy
• McCarthy claimed that there were 205 known
Communists working for the U.S. Department
of State
• Though evidence proved otherwise, his
accusations stirred fear in many Americans
• Became famous for “fighting” Communism
• His tactic of spreading fear and making
baseless charges became known as
“McCarthyism”
10. Election of 1950
• McCarthy made special effort to bring about the
defeat of Senator Millard Tydings
– Investigated McCarthy’s first claims
– Huge supporter of President Truman
• McCarthy produced fake photos of Tydings talking to
the head of the American Communist Party
• Tydings lost the election
• McCarthyism spread to universities, labor
unions, businesses – no one wanted to appear too
“soft on communism”
11. McCarthy’s Fall
• Became even more wild
with his charges
• Attacked fellow
Republicans, the U.S.
Army
• Public came to view his
tactics as unfair
