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How far was the Cold War responsible for McCarthyism in the early 1950s? essay
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How far was the Cold War responsible for McCarthyism in the early 1950s essay
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How far was the Cold War responsible for McCarthyism in the early 1950s?The widespread and intense anti-communism fears in America during the 1950s, described as a
‘seasonal allergy’ by historian Chafe, is often known as McCarthyism. A climate of paranoia emerged
and remained throughout the early 1950s with witch-hunts taking place against anyone suspected of
being communist or even being too leftist. Many people in Hollywood were targeted and blacklisted
for producing films containing pro-communist and pro-Russian content. The growth of McCarthyism
can thus be attributed to the Cold War (and the nuclear arms race), the fall of China, various spy
scandals, HUAC and the rulings of the Supreme Court as well as the actions of Joseph McCarthy. The
judgement of which factor was the most responsible for McCarthyism will be reached based on
which factor generated the most fear and paranoia and which factor had the most overall impact.
Therefore, whilst the Cold War formed the basis for anti-communist fears, it was not entirely
responsible for McCarthyism, instead it was the fear of the ‘enemy from within’.
Firstly, the Cold War created the foundation for anti-communist fears. The Cold War was mainly an
ideological war between capitalism and communism, with America being determined to protect
democracy and freedom alongside capitalism. The belief of the Soviet Union as being expansionist,
coupled with the residual panic caused by the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution heightened fears of Europe
succumbing to communism. Stalin’s desire to establish and maintain a sphere of influence in Europe
was viewed by America as Stalin’s attempt at world domination which essentially threatened the
American way of life. In 1947 Truman thus introduced a policy of containment – the Truman
Doctrine. This offered money to countries which rejected communism, most notably Greece.
Truman also introduced the Marshall Plan. Altogether, 16 countries received a total of $13 billion for
post-war reconstruction which simultaneously made capitalism seem more attractive. Events such as
the Korean War reinforced the fact that communism had become a global issue, with Americans
fearing the domino effect. A key part of the Cold War was the nuclear arms race, with America losing
its monopoly on atomic weapons in 1949 when the USSR exploded its first nuclear weapon.
Consequently, Truman began the development of the hydrogen bomb which was tested in 1954. The
USA and USSR had thus entered an arms race. The Cold War was hence responsible for McCarthyism
as it highlighted the threat of communism spreading in Europe which was later enforced by the arms
race as weapons of mass destruction were being developed that could ultimately lead to
Armageddon.
Related closely to the climate of paranoia caused by the Cold War was the spread of Communism in
China. The communist victory in China was mainly blamed on Truman and his administration. There
was a general attitude in America that the state department could have done more to stop the fall of
China. This led to the creation of the China Lobby which demanded for the US to take action against
the newfound communist regime in China. It also called for an investigation on how China was
allowed to become Communist. Democratic Senator, McCarran argued that the fall of China
occurred due to infiltrators in the state department (such as Acheson), further inducing paranoia.
The fall of China hence further aggravated the fear of a communist world domination, contributing
to McCarthyism as well as initiating the fear of America being undermined by the enemy within.
Additionally, fears of communist infiltration in America alongside the various spy scandals were also
responsible for McCarthyism. There were several spy scandals in Britain, Canada and the USA. Klaus
Fuchs (Britain) and Harry Gold (USA) were both convicted of giving nuclear secrets to the USSR.
People also believed that the USSR had infiltrated the Manhattan Project, thus explaining the rapid
Soviet development of nuclear capability. Julius and Ethel Rosenburg were also executed for giving
away atomic secrets. The fear of communist infiltration was thus inevitable, especially as the Soviets
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