The Red Scare

Learning Objectives: To analyse how the Red Scare developed by

assessing the impact of key events

Key Terms, Events, Names: FELP, HUAC, FBI, The Hollywood Ten, The Hiss

Case, The Rosenberg Case, McCarran Internal Security Act

What were the causes

of the Red Scare?

Rank the below causes of the Red Scare in

order of hierarchy of importance in increasing

the scare in the USA.

How did each of the below lead increase the

fear of communism in USA?

• The Korean War

• Soviet Expansion in Eastern Europe

• Soviet Testing of the Atomic Bomb

• The Berlin Blockade

• Communist takeover of China

• Czechoslovakia 1948

• Marshall Plan

• Disagreements During WW2

• Ideological Differences

LO: To examine the causes of

growing anti-Communism in the

USA and to evaluate the ideological

differences between Capitalism and

Communism

The Spread of

Communism

LO: To examine the causes of

growing anti-Communism in the

USA and to evaluate the ideological

differences between Capitalism and

Communism

Post War US Politics

• Roosevelt died April 1945, Truman became president.

• Truman was under pressure to appeal to voters on the right side of the political spectrum.

• Fear of Communism was used to increase and justify a return to conservative, more “right wing” policies.

LO: To analyse how

the Red Scare

developed by

assessing the impact

of key events

Where have we seen this

in modern America?

LO: To analyse how

the Red Scare

developed by

assessing the impact

of key events

Where have we seen this

in modern America?

LO: To analyse how

the Red Scare

developed by

assessing the impact

of key events

The Growth of the Red

Scare

• As the Cold War intensified in the late

1940s, anti-Communist fear and

paranoia grew within American society.

• The growth of Communism in Europe,

the surprise development of a Russian

nuclear bomb, the fall of China and the

Korean War all contributed to the feeling

that America was under attack.

• Similarly, events within America also

contributed to the suspicion that America

was being ‘infiltrated’ by Communist

spies.

LO: To analyse how

the Red Scare

developed by

assessing the impact

of key events

Paranoia within

Government

• In March 1947, Truman reacted to

accusations he was ‘soft’ on Communism by

creating the Federal Employee Loyalty

Programme (FELP). By 1952, it had forced

around 3,000 workers to resign.

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

also began to secretly investigate

government workers under the leadership of

its anti-communist director, J. Edgar

Hoover.

• From 1945, the House Un-American

Activities Committee (HUAC) began to

actively investigate real or suspected

communists in all areas of society.

LO: To analyse how

the Red Scare

developed by

assessing the impact

of key events

The Hollywood Ten

• In 1947, the HUAC began to investigate the

Hollywood Film Industry for suspected

communist influence.

• Ten writers and directors who had to testify

before HUAC refused to answer whether they had

previously been communists. They pleaded that

the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution gave

them the right to their own political beliefs. They

were found to be in contempt of Congress and

were jailed for a year.

• Despite support from famous actors like

Humphrey Bogart, over 300 more artists were

investigated and boycotted by the film industry.

Even Charlie Chaplin was accused and he had to

leave the USA to find work!

LO: To analyse how

the Red Scare

developed by

assessing the impact

of key events

Is this man

a

communist

?

Were they communists

or was this a witch hunt?

LO: To analyse how

the Red Scare

developed by

assessing the impact

of key events

Were they communists

or was this a witch hunt?

LO: To analyse how

the Red Scare

developed by

assessing the impact

of key events

Was the persecution of the

Hollywood Ten an internal

witch hunt by the movie

industry? Find evidence

for and against this theory.

You will each be given one

of the Hollywood Ten to

investigate. Where they in

fact communists?

The Hiss Case

• In 1948, HUAC heard testimony from former

communist spy Elizabeth Bentley. She

gave the names of 150 other agents

including Alger Hiss, a government official

who had worked at the US State Department

and United Nations.

• Another former spy and editor of Time

magazine, Whittaker Chambers, gave

evidence and accused Hiss of being a

communist agent, even producing evidence.

Interrogated by Richard Nixon, Hiss denied

being a spy.

• He was found guilty of lying to court (not

spying) and was sentenced for 5 years.

LO: To analyse how

the Red Scare

developed by

assessing the impact

of key events

Was he a communist or

was this a witch hunt?

LO: To analyse how

the Red Scare

developed by

assessing the impact

of key events

Early Life & Career

Accusation of Espionage

Evidence during the trial

Key Witnesses

Conviction

Later Evidence ‘For’ &

‘Against’

The Rosenberg Case

• On 18th July 1950 Julius and Ethel

Rosenberg were arrested for passing

atomic bomb secrets to the Soviets.

• The evidence against them was weak

however the case came at a bad time.

The Korean War and development of a

Soviet atomic bomb led to many blaming

the Rosenberg’s.

• Despite mass demonstrations and

messages of support, they were found

guilty of espionage and sentenced to

death. They were executed in June 1953

LO: To analyse how

the Red Scare

developed by

assessing the impact

of key events

The McCarran Internal

Security Act

In light of the rising tide of arrests and perceived

communist threat, Congress passed the

McCarran Act in September 1950. The Act:

– Forced the Communist Party to register

with the Justice Department and share

information about its members.

– Allowed suspected Communists to be held

without trial in the event of war.

– Banned Communists from working in

weapons factories.

– Set-up the Subversive Activities Control

Board to watch for communist activities in the

USA.

LO: To analyse how

the Red Scare

developed by

assessing the impact

of key events

The McCarran Internal

Security Act

Write a short speech either

for or against the need for

the McCarran Security Act.

Compare this in parallel with

modern day terrorism laws

and need for governments to

protect people vs. individual

freedoms.

LO: To analyse how

the Red Scare

developed by

assessing the impact

of key events

Conclusion

• The result of all these spying cases

and government laws meant that

many Americans had become more

suspicious of their neighbours and

co-workers.

• People were less willing to talk politics

and unwilling to talk to anyone

associated with Communism. Society

became swept up in anti-communist

hysteria.

• People were more willing to allow

government to spy on its own

people to ensure that Communists

were rooted out.

LO: To analyse how

the Red Scare

developed by

assessing the impact

of key events