He charged that there were 205 communist spies in the state department who were selling out the United States. McCarthy warned that there were communist traitors in American government and society that were threatening to destroy the United States. He declared: "When a great democracy is destroyed, it will not be because of enemies from without, but rather because of enemies from within." McCarthy called for a "moral uprising" of Americans to drive these dangerous communists out of government and society. He also declared that the United States had lost ground in the world not as a result of foreign aggression, but “because of the traitorous actions of those who have been treated so well by this nation.” The corporate-controlled news media also shared the blame for McCarthy's ability to disseminate "great lies."
Although it unified, it also brought about separation, with the division of Germany and of Berlin. After World War 2 Russia unified all surrounding countries with communism. It began with the setting up of satellite states surrounding Russia later becoming commonly known as the ‘Iron Curtain’. They were set up to protect Russia because they believed the allies would invade, just as they did after the First World War. Russia’s main national interest after setting up other communist republics was to further spread communism.
Truman in the late 1940s, started to introduce doctrines that moved for the “containment” of communist expansion and influence in Europe. There was also the fear of an internal communist threat that spurred the creation of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). The HUAC held public investigations and tried to uncover communist toleration and subversion. One notorious investigation was against Alger Hiss, who was accused of passing classified documents to the Soviet Union in 1937 and 1938. In 1950 the McCarran Internal Security Act passed and required communist organizations to publish their records, and register with the government.
Containment was a foreign policy introduced at the start of the Cold War by the United States, aimed at stopping the spread of Communism and keeping it 'contained' and isolated within its current borders, otherwise the 'domino effect' would occur, where if one nation became Communist, the surrounding ones would follow. The doctrine was expanded to cover the world, leading to US involvement in Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan and several other nations. US direct involvement in Korea can be seen as a direct result of the policy of containment. The end of World War II brought the redrawing of boundaries all over the world. Korea, conquered by Japan during the war, was divided at the 38th parallel then given to the USSR in the north and the US in the south.
But United States leaders had other concerns. No sooner had World War II ended, then a "Cold War," between the forces of democracy and communism began (Schomp The Vietnam War 5). Long years of fighting had devastated the democratic nations of Western Europe, which left the communist Soviet Union as the dominant power in Europe and Asia (Schomp The Vietnam War 5). The Soviet Union had already over run most of Eastern Europe; now they seemed determined to spread communism all around the globe (Schomp The Vietnam War 5). To help counter that threat Truman started secretly sending money as well as supplies to help back the French forces against Ho Chi Minh's forces (Schomp The Vietnam War 5).
Primary Causes Of The Cold War The conflict between the US and the formerly known USSR occurred because of several political conflicts. Both the US and the U.S.S.R. felt that their ideology was better and because of World War 2, pre-existing strife had built up. The major ideological difference was that the U.S.S.R. was supporting communism, whilst the US was supporting capitalism. With the actions of the soviet union, helping to liberate the defeated countries, it was understood that the liberators may stay and help them install their form of government and leave. Fear of the other country laying influence of their ideology, as a means to gain power, tensions rose.
The Red Scare was a period in which many Americans feared that communism would thrive, and the capitalist system in the United States would be threatened. (1947-1957) 2. This was a fragile time for Americans, having just ended one war, and then thrusting into a new one. The fear of Communism has always somewhat paralyzed Americans, except this second Red Scare was particularly fueled by Senator Joseph McCarthy. B. McCarthy’s reasons for his accusations were that he had proof that citizens of the U.S. were in fact members of the Communist party.
This is known as Ridgeways revival as he got the UN forces back in the war and stalemate for the rest of the war. This was a success as the Chinese attack overwhelmed the US/UN forces meaning they had to retreat, but Ridgeway got them back into the war. The main military failure was Macarthur Provoking the Chinese. As he ordered the troops to push further north towards the Yalu River, China saw this as the beginning of an attack on them so they intervened. Not only for this reason did China attack the US, but also Mao Zedong wanted to strengthen his position in china and thought attacking the US would do so.
With the end of World War II and the fall of Nazism and Imperialism, a form of a political powerhouse was rising rapidly overseas in Soviet Russia. Russia was ruled by Communism while America was ruled by Capitalism. These two political powerhouses would clash constantly, and beginning in 1947, the American people would have to clash with it as well. In 1947, the HUAC, “an investigative group of United States citizens who reprimanded Un-American and subversive activities” (Simkin 1) summoned multiple Hollywood entertainment professionals who they believed were inspired by the Communist Party to place Communist propaganda into films. Ten writers and directors were determined suspects and these men became known as the Hollywood Ten (US History
On June 25, 1950, President Truman obtained from the United Nations Security Council a unanimous condemnation of North Korea as an aggressor. (The Soviet Union was not present at the meeting.) Without Congress's approval, Truman ordered American air and naval units to be sent to support South Korea. The Korean War also showed the impact a single individual can have on history. General MacArthur landed a brilliant invasion behind enemy forces at Inchon on September 15, 1950, and drove the North Koreans back across the 38th parallel, towards China and the Yalu River.