The Cold War,

Nuclear Weapons, and McCarthyism

E. America Enters World War II

(1945-Present)

f. Analyze the social, cultural, and

economic changes at the onset of the

Cold War era

g. Analyze the origins of the Cold

War, foreign policy developments, and

major events of the administrations

from Truman to present

When World War II was finished, the USA, Britain, and France grew

concerned. They wanted the nations of the world to accept Democracy.

Yet, it was clear that Stalin wanted Eastern Europe

to be dominated by Communism.

Truman’s goal of “Containment” was simply to keep

Communism from spreading any further into the world.

Communism expanded out of the

USSR. Containment failed.

The Arms Race Begins

-In 1949, the USSR created an atom bomb. President Truman was forced to make a stronger weapon. This started an “arms race.”

-In the USA, Scientists created an “H” (hydrogen) bomb and claimed that it was over 60 times more powerful than an atom bomb.

-In 1952, the USA detonated an “H” bomb. In 1953, the USSR also detonated an “H” bomb.

Brinkmanship and the Eisenhower Doctrine

-President Eisenhower, elected in 1952, took strong

stands against Communism. In the Eisenhower

Doctrine, he promised to give military aid to any

Middle East nation threatened by Communism.

-Secretary of state, John Dulles, claimed the only

way to prevent Communism from spreading was to

make the Russian USSR fear that the USA was

ready to use nuclear weapons, if the time arose.

-Brinkmanship is the willingness to use your most

powerful weapons, at any moment, to keep your

enemy afraid.

President

Eisenhower used

the policy of

“Brinkmanship”

during the Cold

War.

Satellites in Space

-Stalin died and a leader named Nikita Khrushchev was Stalin’s successor.

-Khrushchev thought Communism would take over the world, but peacefully and not in violence.

-In 1957, the Soviet Union became the first nation of Earth to launch a satellite into space, Sputnik. Despite the reduced tension with Stalin’s death, many feared that the USSR had such advanced technology.

Nikita

Khrushchev:

Joseph Stalin’s

successor in the

USSR.

The USSR

launched the

first Satellite

on Earth in to

space. It was

called Sputnik.

Sputnik was able to orbit the planet and

send signals back down to Earth.

The U-2 Incident

-The USA sent secret U-2 planes over Russia to get images of the USSR for military use.

-USA pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down and held in prison in Russia for two years for spying for the USA.

-Cold War fears remained for decades after this incident. Many feared all out nuclear war could erupt between the USA and the USSR.

Francis Gary powers was shot down over the USSR. He was

flying in a U-2 plane, like the one pictured above, and was

spying on the USSR for the USA.

Francis Gary

Powers was

imprisoned in the

USSR after his U-2

Plane was shot

down. He was

sentenced to ten

years. Yet, the USA

was able to secure

his release after he

had served two

years.

McCarthy launches his “Witch Hunts”

-In the 1950s, Joseph McCarthy, a Senator from Wisconsin, made countless, unsupported accusations asserting people were Communists. He ruined the lives of many

-In 1954, Army investigations concerning Communism were televised; people saw McCarthy bully the witnesses and began to realize his assertions were simply false and based on delusional hysteria.

-McCarthy died due to difficulties with alcoholism and McCarthyism is forever remembered as unfair tactics of accusations

Joseph McCarthy increased the hysteria of the fear of

Communism by claiming that Communist spies had radically

infiltrated the United States and the government. He had no

proof or evidence of these claims. He ruined the lives of

many by falsely claiming they were Communists..

Some journalists, like Edward R. Murrow, bravely reported on

McCarthy and pointed out that his accusations

were untrue and his tactics were ruthless.

Fear of Communism Grows

-The Communist takeover of China shocked the world. Many found it unbelievable that the USA lost such a large nation to Communism.

-Republicans claimed Truman was weak on communism. In response he formed the Federal Employee Loyalty Program to remove Communists from the government.

-According to FELP, if you supported Communism, you were fired from government service. Many saw this as a violation of the Constitution.

More Communist Investigations

-The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), in 1947, investigated the movie industry to determine if Communists were working in the industry.

-The “Hollywood 10” was a group who refused to cooperate and went to prison. They claimed the investigations were wrong and unconstitutional. Many people were “Blacklisted” after being accused of being Communist.

-For those accused, they were often fired from their jobs, abandoned by their families, and ostracized by their friends. Those associated with the accused avoided them to avoid being accused themselves.

Trial Hearings Under HUAC

The Hollywood Ten and their lawyers: (from left): Front row:

Herbert Biberman, attorneys Martin Popper and Robert W.

Kenny, Albert Maltz, Lester Cole. Middle row: Dalton Trumbo, John

Howard Lawson, Alvah Bessie, Samuel Ornitz. Back row: Ring

Lardner Jr., Edward Dmytryk, Adrian Scott.

In this depiction, McCarthy is forcing people

to be added to the “blacklist.”

So, were there spies in the USA?

-Yes, there were spies in the USA. Yet, the massive infiltration of spies that McCarthy fabricated never existed.

-Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were Americans who helped leak information to the USSR to help them build an atom bomb. Julius worked for the Army as an engineer.

-Ethel and Julius were convicted for spying on the USA and both were executed for treason.

Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were convicted of giving

information to the USSR to help the Soviet Union build an

atom bomb. They were executed for treason.

THE

END

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