By the early 1950s, the American people feared communist “subversion” from within almost hysterically. This attitude was brought about by a combination of complex factors. First, the nation was worried about how their war against communism was faring. The Korean War was faring poorly, China had turned communist and the Soviet atomic program succeeded much earlier than anyone anticipated. The nation was worried. Seeking an explanation for these setbacks, the American people began to pinpoint to subversion from within. The Soviet atomic program must have gained secrets from the United States. Sabotage from within must be the reason for the temporary failure on the Cold War front. Also, American domestic politics played a role. The Republican Party, effectively shut out for 20 years, sought an issue to attack the Democrats with. The Democrats, meanwhile, wanted to refute the criticism. The Republicans accused the Democrats of communism, and the Democrats responded by enthusiastically attacking communism within their own ranks.
The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), beginning in 1947, publicly investigated many sectors of the government and the economy, hoping to show how the Democrats had tolerated “communist subversion.” HUAC began by investigating Hollywood and the alleged communist propaganda contained therein. Many writers and producers testified. When 10 of them (“The Hollywood Ten”) refused to respond to questions about their beliefs, they were jailed for contempt. Meanwhile, Hollywood, hoping to maintain a good image, blacklisted people with “suspicious loyalty.” HUAC then proceeded to investigate Alger Hiss, a former member of the State Department. Whittaker Chambers, a former communist agent who previously passed information along to the Soviet Union, told HUAC that Hiss had given him classified documents to pass on to the Soviets. Though initially unable to be tried for espionage, Hiss served several years in prison after being convicted in prison, mainly by virtue of the relentless efforts of California Senator Richard Nixon.
The Democratic Party, reacting to the accusations of the Republicans and HUAC, initiated a publicized program to review the “loyalty” of government employees. By 1951, more than 2,212 people had lost their jobs on account of their suspected “subversive” activities. More anti-communist programs followed. The attorney general created a blacklist of subversive organizations. The FBI investigated “radicals.” Congress passed over Roosevelt’s veto the 1950 McCarran Internal Security Act, which required communist organizations to register with the government and publicize their records.
The Rosenberg Case exposed the national hysteria generated by the successful Soviet detonation of a nuclear weapon. Klaus Fuchs, a British scientist, testified that he transmitted atomic secrets to the Soviets. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Communist Party members, were allegedly at the center of the conspiracy. They were later sentenced to death.
In walks McCarthy, who promptly adds to the whole mess. He was a first-term Republican senator from Wisconsin. In a speech in Wheeling, W. Va., he claimed to know about 205 communists working in the State Department. McCarthy thus rose to national prominence on the virtue of these charges. But he wasn’t finished. When the Republicans controlled the Senate in 1952, McCarthy headed a special committee investigating subversion in government areas. Republicans rose to the occasion and acclaimed McCarthy’s “fearless” assaults on communism until he was discredited in 1954.
Historians argue about the cause of the Red Scare. Some argue that anticommunism was a patriotic movement with a legitimate concern about the safety of the nation at its heart. However, many disagree with this and claim that the Red Scare was an expression of “social maladjustment.” According to them, the Red Scare was a product off a deep anxiety that feared isolation from the modern world. The most sensible view, in my opinion, sees it as a movement stemming from party politics at the time. Republicans needed an issue to attack the Democrats with, who in turn required concrete actions to defend themselves against the accusations. Whatever the cause, liberals at the time were intimidated by the national mood, and no one spoke out until the damage had already been done.
The result of the Red Scare was a shift in parties within the government. Truman fell into heavy disfavor, while Dwight Eisenhower, along with his running mate Richard Nixon (who benefited greatly from the Red Scare), were seen as national heroes. Eisenhower would stop the Korean conflict, while Nixon would stop the subversion. Indeed, Republicans won majorities in Congress while Eisenhower won the presidential election by a landslide. Party politics caused the Red Scare, and in turn reaped its “benefits.”
*All information and statistics are from Brinkley, Alan. American History: A Survey. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print.
