The Second Red Scare
The Cold War Begins
1945-1953
Growing Fear of Communism
Soviet Atomic Weapons
• In September 1949 Truman
announced that the Soviet
Union had detonated an
atomic bomb.
• This was a shock to the
nation.
• Truman began to
strengthen the nation’s
military against a possible
Soviet nuclear threat.
Communist China
• Communists in China had
gained nearly full control of
the country.
• The Nationalist government
(supported by U.S.) of Chiang
Kai-shek fled to Taiwan
• China now controlled by
Communist Party under the
leadership of Mao Zedong.
• Americans worried that China
increased the Communist
threat to the U.S.
The Second Red Scare
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
Newspaper 1952
The Second Red Scare
• President Truman felt he
had to take action because
of pressure from
Republicans
• Created a plan to
investigate all federal
employees and bar those
found to be disloyal from
federal employment.
– 3 million people
investigated
– 200 found to be disloyal
The Second Red Scare
The Smith Act
• Passed in 1940
• Made it a crime to call for
the overthrow of the U.S.
government or belong to
an organization that did
so
• Upheld by court in 1951
Dennis vs. U.S.
– Justified limits on free
speech
• Communist officials
convicted
The McCarran Act
• Passed in 1950
• Required communist
organizations to register
with the U.S. government
• Established a board to
investigate Communist
involvement
• Prevented communists
and radicals from
entering U.S.
The Second Red Scare
• 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
The Second Red Scare
Klaus Fuchs
• Manhattan Project scientist
who gave atomic bomb
information to the Soviets
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
• Accused leading a spy ring
• Convicted of conspiracy and
executed in 1953
The Second Red Scare
Senator Joseph 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”
The Second Red Scare
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”
The Second Red Scare
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