USA - divided union
Reasons for the red scare
- communist Soviet Union and capitalist west fought together in WW2
- After the war their political differences caused tensions
- ^ the Cold War (Soviet Union thought west should be communist and vise versa)
- US people were fearful of nuclear war
- US wanted to keep the secret of atomic bomb making out of Soviet hands
- The US’ determination to find + prosecute communists = the red scare
Cold War tensions
- many countries the SU occupied in the war became communist and ‘satilite states’ of the USSR
- The Marshall plan (set up by US gov) provided aid to European countries which the SU saw as a
bribe to keep them capitalist
The Berlin crisis
- Berlin was in SU-controlled Germany
- As capital it was split in 4 (SU, USA, France and Britain)
- SU pressed Berliners to vote to become communist in ‘free elections’
- June 1948, SU cut off transport links to Berlin, stopping other countries getting their supplies to
their sectors
- It also cut off west Germany from its capital, disrupting gov
- Western powers flew in supplies
- April 1949, British, French and USA unite their German sectors = Federal Republic of West
Germany
- SU = German Democratic Republic
- Berlin + Germany was split in 2
Korea
- N Korea = communist, S Korea = non-communist
- 1950, NK invades SK and war broke out
- SU support NK
- USA sent economic aid, advice, supplies and troops
Villains or victims?
- red scare fulled by belief that American communists were working with SU to overthrow the US
gov
- FBI built up files on communists
- HUAC (the house committee on un-American activities) set up by gov
- HUAC investigations grew starting with gov workers, fulled by allegations of McCarthy
The Hollywood ten
- HUAC investigated Hollywood as he feared they may use film to spread propaganda
- 10 Hollywood writers refused to give evidence to HUAC and were imprisoned
- HUAC began to investigate their supporters
The Hiss Case
- 1948, Alger Hiss had been adviser to president Roosevelt, was accused of being communist
- HUAC sent him to trial during which the SU tested an atomic bomb (inc fear of nuclear war), the
evidence was complicated and confused and he was sent to prison for lying to the court
Reasons for the red scare
- communist Soviet Union and capitalist west fought together in WW2
- After the war their political differences caused tensions
- ^ the Cold War (Soviet Union thought west should be communist and vise versa)
- US people were fearful of nuclear war
- US wanted to keep the secret of atomic bomb making out of Soviet hands
- The US’ determination to find + prosecute communists = the red scare
Cold War tensions
- many countries the SU occupied in the war became communist and ‘satilite states’ of the USSR
- The Marshall plan (set up by US gov) provided aid to European countries which the SU saw as a
bribe to keep them capitalist
The Berlin crisis
- Berlin was in SU-controlled Germany
- As capital it was split in 4 (SU, USA, France and Britain)
- SU pressed Berliners to vote to become communist in ‘free elections’
- June 1948, SU cut off transport links to Berlin, stopping other countries getting their supplies to
their sectors
- It also cut off west Germany from its capital, disrupting gov
- Western powers flew in supplies
- April 1949, British, French and USA unite their German sectors = Federal Republic of West
Germany
- SU = German Democratic Republic
- Berlin + Germany was split in 2
Korea
- N Korea = communist, S Korea = non-communist
- 1950, NK invades SK and war broke out
- SU support NK
- USA sent economic aid, advice, supplies and troops
Villains or victims?
- red scare fulled by belief that American communists were working with SU to overthrow the US
gov
- FBI built up files on communists
- HUAC (the house committee on un-American activities) set up by gov
- HUAC investigations grew starting with gov workers, fulled by allegations of McCarthy
The Hollywood ten
- HUAC investigated Hollywood as he feared they may use film to spread propaganda
- 10 Hollywood writers refused to give evidence to HUAC and were imprisoned
- HUAC began to investigate their supporters
The Hiss Case
- 1948, Alger Hiss had been adviser to president Roosevelt, was accused of being communist
- HUAC sent him to trial during which the SU tested an atomic bomb (inc fear of nuclear war), the
evidence was complicated and confused and he was sent to prison for lying to the court
