Communism and the 2nd Red Scare

Study Notes

After World War II, Americans feared communism would gain strength in the US due to Soviet occupation in Eastern Europe and the communist revolution in China.
This led to the beginning of the Second Red Scare.

Alger Hiss, former state department official, was accused of passing secret military information to the Soviet Union and sentenced to five years in prison.
Julius Rosenberg and his wife Ethel, members of the American Communist Party, were accused of passing atomic secrets to the Soviets in 1951 and were both convicted and executed.

HUAC was formed to investigate communist activity in the United States.
Walt Disney and Ronald Reagan testified that there was a serious threat of communists in the film industry, leading to the blacklisting of actors suspected of having communist ties.
Blacklisting made it impossible for actors to find work in Hollywood again.

Senator Joseph McCarthy from Wisconsin played upon fears of communism to gain notoriety.
In 1950, McCarthy claimed to have a list of 205 State Department officials who belonged to the Communist Party, but these charges were never proven.
McCarthy ruined hundreds of people's careers through reckless accusations, leading to the term "McCarthyism" standing for reckless charges against innocent citizens.
McCarthy was eventually brought down after his televised hearing, where Americans were shocked and appalled by his accusations.