02.+Background

= __Background:__ = = = ==== In 1917, the infamous Bolshevik Revolution rocked the world with its success. Indeed, the Western nations were shocked that Communism could triumph over the strong and solidified Capitalistic system that had shaped the world. ====

==== The United States was afraid. Yes, Americans were afraid because Russia, once officially 'Communist', wanted to expand. The Comintern (Communist International) organization held various meetings devoted to spreading Communism across Europe, and eventually the world. At the same time, America was rocked by several bombings at the hands of anarchists and Socialists. Furthermore, America was going through a time in which labor unions were coming together to demand rights for the workers in the factories and the fields--rights for the working class. Labor strikes began popping up all across America: 35,000 ship yard workers went on strike along with 60,000 in Seattle, 365,000 steel workers, and 400,000 coal workers. Race riots broke out all across America, and casualties mounted as the KKK revived its strength and influence across the South. To America, things probably looked as if their cherished governmental and economic systems were rocketing towards Communism. ====

====  Perhaps it is a bit predictable, then, that Attorney General Palmer emerged as the fearless Socialist slayer. It was under President Wilson that Palmer took the reigns as Attorney General. The Red Scare, at this point in 1919, was reaching a climax, and the government was shaking in its Republican boots. A spell of xenophobia flooded into the minds of Americans as this fear of Communism tightened its grip around the government. Thus, Palmer began supporting raids which were later coined "Palmer Raids." These raids would target suspected Communists and Socialists within American boundaries, and arrest them. When all was said in done (1921), more than 6,000 suspected "Communists" were arrested. If this isn't a clear parallel to McCarthyism, I don't know what is. ====

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The seeds of McCarthyism, however, were sewn at the tail end of WWII. The United States government suspected Julius and Ethel Rosenburg of comitting espionage against the the US Government. They were tried, found guilty, and executed in 1953. Spies were also found to have infiltrated the Manhattan Project (project to design and build the atomic bomb)---such as Morris Cohen, Klaus Fuchs, and Ethel and Julius Rosenburg---and to have provided the USSR with the information and technology needed to produce an atomic bomb, which they later tested in 1946. The fact that there were Soviet spies in high-ranking offices (and participating in top-secrete projects) struck fear into the minds of the American citizenry, and resulted in the beginnings of what would be known as a "Red Scare." The VENONA project, which was a secrete investigative project between US and UK intelligence agencies focused on decrypting Soviet codes, revealed in the 1990s that there were Soviet spies that worked in the State Department, the Treasury, the Office of Strategic Services, and even the White House.

media type="youtube" key="8iGGjGSdqf8" height="376" width="476" align="left"Subtle forces were also encouraging the rise of the "Red Scare," and McCarthyism. Ever since the New Deal, conservative politicians had referred to politicians who supported reforms such as child labor laws, welfare, of social security as "socialist." Moreover, the New Deal itselfbecame associated with Socialism. The mere mention of the word "Socialism," however, began to evoke volatile emotions from the American public after January 9, 1950, when senator Joseph McCarthy said, "I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department." If there really were Socialists in the American government, this meant (in the minds of the American people) that their government was on the track towards becoming Socialist, or Communist. Especially given the fact that Korea was possibly succumbing to Communism, and that China already had, Americans were taking this possible threat seriously. McCarthy was able to awaken this fear in the American people and take control of it.