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How Did The Cold War Affect The House Un-American Paranoia

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The Cold War could be described as a clash between civilizations. Focused on political influence, this war was between the United States and Soviet Union when the countries began imposing their own societal and political views on communism onto weaker countries by implementing "reform policies”. Tensions rose quickly when the nations failed to agree on a state of government. On the home front, Americans were quaking at the idea of communism spreading; friends and family turned on one another when the House Un-American Activities Committee set their sights on them. Therefore, it was to no surprise that American paranoia caused them[Americans] to match each program the Soviet Union implemented, or succeed it [ the programs] in its impact on …show more content…

intervened swiftly in the respective wars. In retrospect, only Korea was particularly worth fighting for. A reflection of this period will it clear that the actions taken by the U.S. government against communism were extreme,though justifiable.
First and foremost, Americans were terrified of communism. To Americans, communism seemed like nightmare they could not wake up from. Propaganda for World War II shoved Hitler and communism in the same category, and that mentality cannot be erased over night. In 1938, the House Un-American Activities Committee was created to investigate those allegedly going against the nation during the Great Depression and forward. The title was abused, and anyone hinted to be connected to communism in any way was either imprisoned or killed after imprisonment (History.com Staff. “HUAC.”). Random people were accused of being communist, interrogated, and forced to give names of others who were communist...even if they were not communist to begin with,or know no communist. If people denied being communist, then gave up the names of “true” communists, a person would be let go. Fearing for their lives , or imprisonment, family and friends quickly gave up random

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America in the 1950’s was a time where neighbor was told to watch neighbor in fear of a spy from Soviet Russia. After the second World War, many had believed that the atheistic communists had infiltrated the United States government on a mission to shape its policies. Politicians became disgraced after accusations of being a Communist member or sympathizer. In his “Speech Delivered in Wheeling West Virginia, February 9, 1950”, Republican senator from Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy, exemplified McCarthyism and the Red Scare by presenting a list of more than two hundred State Department employees that had been a Communist. Going into the Cold War between the Soviet Union and The United States had been a heated time for politicians named a communist; a near equivalent to being called a witch in Salem, Virginia.

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In McCarthy’s speech in Wheeling, West Virginia, he mentions how there were communists throughout the government. He targeted those treated well by the Nation, such as the wealthy and white-collar workers. Attacking people born with silver spoons in their mouths, those who are born privileged, and claiming the ones in the government are Communists increases the amount of fear the Americans had that communism was spreading. Despite McCarthy’s accusations that these people were communists, he never provided evidence that supported his claim. McCarthy’s “witch hunt” for Communists, also known as McCarthyism, was a movement he used to make himself more powerful and to discredit the Truman

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Imagine the wicked House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) arrest an innocent man. The HUAC does not arrest the man because he has committed a murder, but because he is a communist. Many communists became victims of HUAC in the Red Scare crisis of the 1950s. These communists made the right decision to speak out for their freedom and against injustice. These communists also spoke out for their freedom of different beliefs.

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In the midst of the Red Scare, people were being charged of espionage, communism, and contempt of the court. Various of these people absolutely guiltless. Predictable mistakes had a gigantic influence in the feelings of the faulted. If you denied you had communist ties, the courts considered it to be a lie concealing reality that you are a communist. In a couple of cases, it was

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If anyone was suspected of communism, they were interviewed and put under investigation, forced to give up names of other communists or they were imprisoned or “black listed.” Both situations are the same in that there was fear factor. There was also the mindset that to just go with the crowd to “jump on the bandwagon.” In both cases those accused were found guilty with very little evidence. You would think that if there was such a lack of evidence, the charges would be dismissed.

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foreign and domestic policies because it scared Americans and caused tension within the country and worldwide, leading to a lack of trust within the country. The second Red Scare, propaganda, Russian growth in power, nuclear tension, and the Hollywood Ten were all parts of the war that damaged American policies. Civilians lost trust between one another and within the government. Communism intimidated many people, and the Cold War made it appear as though it would soon take over the world. However, Truman and Eisenhower made it evident that the United States was fighting for innocent civilians worldwide, but they could not promise a steady government or country while the tension exists with Russia, but the nation is doing what they must(Document C).

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During the cold war many Americans feared that their neighbors and peers were Soviet Communists just because they acted or had other views that according to some were ‘un american’. In McCarthy’s speeches he repeatedly talks about how he has the names of convicted Communists in the senate and how they should be kicked out. “I further stated that I have in my possession the names of 57 Communists who are in the State Department at present. A State Department spokesman promptly denied this, claiming that there is not a single Communist in the Department.” (McCarthy 6)

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During the era of Fascism 1930 and the great depression a lot of American thousands of Americans joined the communist party. Dalton trombone news reporter (or script writer) movie crews walking out to receive higher wages. Dalton Trumbo (he was also a war correspondent Okinawa in) classified a registered communist to the government all communist were also classified as dangerous radicals. Trumbo and his friends discusses how the government doesn 't respect the first amendment and congress thinks that if you’re for the war you’re a hero and if you’re against the war YOUR A TRAITOR.

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The main accuser during this time was Joseph McCarthy. The people who were accused were just everyday people. Joseph McCarthy said that he knew people who are members of the communist party working for the government, he may have done this because he didn’t like those people. This scared everyone, primarily because during the years that followed WWII everyone feared communist. So after McCarthy made these statements, it almost made like a ripple effect by having everyday people, being accused of people that “suspected” that they were communists as well.

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The single element that made the anti-communist movement so dangerous was also what made it ridiculous: its fervor. Any sensible person, when asked, would more than likely say ‘no’ if they were asked if they would ruin, or even end, a man’s life with no evidence. The mere idea that untold lives were ruined based on accusations with no factual basis may seem ridiculous now, but then, it was commonplace. Communists were seen by Americans as so dangerous that little to no evidence was needed for a conviction. This might have died down sooner if there were none who benefitted from it; however, numerous politicians found that a strong stance and promises of retribution boosted their favorability in the eyes of the people.

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