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HUAC
The House of Un-American Activities Committee, also known as HUAC, targeted communists. The committee was first established in 1938. Post World War II and throughout the Cold War, the HUAC targeted people in the U.S.,, mainly in the entertainment industry. They felt the people could be influenced by communism via radio and television. They believed subliminal messages were being sent regarding communist behaviors and beliefs. The HUAC is infamous for the Hollywood Ten trials. -
The Second Red Scare
After WW II, fear of communism spread, due to China succumbing to communism, the Korean War and the Soviet Union's successful testing of their own atomic bomb. Acts, such as the Smith Act, had previously been passed to make it an offense to promote or belong to a group that plotted or promoted the violent overthrow of the government. The U.S. gov't prohibited the right to assemble such groups for national security. Things such as the HUAC and McCarthyism transpired during the Second Red Scare. -
Alger Hiss
Alger Hiss was a U.S. government official who was charged by the HUAC with espionage. Whittaker Chambers, a former Communist Party member, produced a microfilm of government documents as evidence in court. Hiss was convicted of two counts of perjury rather than the espionage charge. -
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is defined as making claims that someone is Communist. Wisconsin Senator, Joseph MCarthy, claimed in front of Congress that he had a list of communists who were gov't officials. The first recorded use of the term was in a political cartoon published in March 1950. Targeted were gov't employees, movie industry, educators and union activists. Hundreds were imprisoned, 10,000+ people lost jobs, 300+ actors and directors were blacklisted in Hollywood and 3,000 seamen lost their jobs. -
The Rosenbergs
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg began their first day of trial on March 6, 1951, for allegedly being involved with giving Soviets info about our atomic weapons. The Cold War was just heating up so this became very controversial. Their guilty verdict of espionage resulted in world-wide protesting. Everybody felt they were found guilty because they were Jewish and liberal, On July 19, 1953, the couple became the first U.S. civilians to be executed for espionage. Death by electric chair. -
Nikita Khrushchev
After USSR's Joseph Stalin died in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev became the First Secretary of the Communist Party. He is most remembered for rejecting previous theories of rule of Stalin, the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961, and sending Soviet weapons to Cuba in 1962. He and President Eisenhower did not see eye to eye and had major conflicts regarding the Middle East and communism. He was removed from power in 1964 mainly due to erratic behavior and the way he handled the Cuban Missile Crisis. -
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
The CIA was a vital sourse of obtaining information for America during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. In 1961, it supported the invasion of Cuba and diverted the Cuban Missile Crisis. The CIA was sent to the Middle East and Latin America frequently to take down anti-American governments such as Iran's and Guatemala. The biggest role the CIA played was its counter-espionage during the Cold War. Their mission was to stop communism. -
Suez Crisis (part 2)
In turn, this angered Great Britain and France, spurning a brief attack against Egypt. In October 1956, they gained control over the region, resulting with Egypt sinking 40 ships and blocking the canal. Britain and France were forced to retreat by the United Nations and Egypt was given back control of the canal. In March 1957, Egypt began to allow all vessels for passage. -
Suez Crisis (part 1)
Egypt-owned Suez Canal caused much controversy with the U.S., Great Britain and France. Control was sought by Britain and France, and the U.S. was a financial backing for Egypt to construct a dam in the Nile. When Egypt's leader, Abdel Nasser recognized Communist China and accepted aid from the Soviet Union, The U.S. pulled their financial backing. This angered Nasser, so to obtain more funding for the dam, he nationalized the canal.
