The Cold War at Home

Yalta Conference

• February 4 – 11, 1945• Franklin D. Roosevelt,

Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin

• Policy makers become concern after FDR’s Death in April 1945

Harry S. Truman

• Afraid the Republican Congress would not allocate enough money to the Cold War.

• Oversold communist threats to shape public opinion

Communist at Home

• Believed to be part of a secret conspiracy.

• Took direct orders from the Kremlin.

• In reality, most communist supporters did not see themselves as part of Stalin’s Army.

American Communist Spies

• Elizabeth Bentley – launched the era of communist hysteria in the Government

• Alger Hiss – government official believed to be a spy

• The Rosenbergs – gave away nuclear secrets

J. Edgar Hoover

• Director of the FBI• Thought President

Truman had a relaxed attitude for internal affairs.

• Mounted a public relations campaign about the internal threat of communism.

McCarthyism

• Joseph McCarthy, Senator from Wisconsin.

• The Government was infiltrated with Communist

• Trails lasted for three years

Black Listed

• Punishment was primarily economic sanctions.

• 10,000 people lost their jobs.

• Could be removed from the Black List.

Recently

• The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991

• China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam still have communist governments

• The Communist Party USA

Work CitedAtomicarchive.com. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. National Science Digital Library. http://www.atomicarchive.com/Bios/Rosenberg.shtml (accessed November 6, 2008)

Atomicarchive.com. “Julius and Ethel Rosenberg Picture.” National Science Digital Library. http://www.atomicarchive.com/Bios/RosenbergPhoto.shtml(accessed November 6, 2008)

Authentic History Center: Primary Sources from American Popular Culture. “Hollywood Ten Picture.” Authentic History Center. http://www.authentichistory.com/1950s/speeches/19471029_John_Howard_Lawson_of_Hollywood_10_Testifies.html (accessed November 6, 2008)

BBC News. “Berlin Wall Picture.” BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4268064.stm (accessed November 6, 2008)

China Politics Links. “Cold War Graphic.” Wellesley College. http://www.wellesley.edu/Polisci/wj/ChinaLinks-New/coldwar.html (accessed November 6, 2008)

Communist Party USA. Current Issues. Communist Party USA. http://www.cpusa.org/article/archive/3/ (accessed November 6, 2008)

Conspiracy Times. “J. Edgar Hoover Picture.” Conspiracy Times. http://www.conspiracy-times.com/content/view/169/2/ (accessed November 6, 2008)

Electronic New Jersey. “Uncle Sam Poster.” Electronic New Jersey. http://www2.scc.rutgers.edu/njh/cold_war/academic_freedom/anti.php (accessed November 6, 2008)

Elizabeth Terrill Bentley. “Bentley Picture.” UMKC. http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/rosenb/ROS_BBEN.HTM (accessed November 6, 2008)

Historical Documents: In United States History. “Truman Picture.” Historical Documents.com. http://www.historicaldocuments.com/HarryTrumanIndex.htm (accessed November 6, 2008)

Modern American Poetry. About McCarthyism. University of Illinois. http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/mccarthy/mccarthy.htm (accessed November 3, 2008)

Modern American Poetry. “McCarthy Picture. “University of Illinois. http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/mccarthy/mccarthy.htm (accessed November 6, 2008)

National Archives. “Yalta Conference Picture.” National Archives.com. http://www.archives.gov/research/ww2/photos/ (accessed November 6, 2008)

Nova Online. Alger Hiss. PBS. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/venona/dece_hiss.html (accessed November 6, 2008)

Nova Online. Elizabeth Bentley. PBS. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/venona/dece_bentley.html (accessed November 6, 2008)

Jeffrey GibbensPittsburg State University

Fall 2008