Question

Why did america's growing international struggle against the soviet union so quickly lead to a fear of communist subversion within the united states. would it have been possible to have rationally tried to stop soviet spying without creating an indiscriminate witch hunt? to what extent was the anticommunist crusade really concerned about american national security, and to what extent was it simply persecuting people perceived as different?

Answer 1

The fear of communist subversion in the United States really surged during the era of McCarthyism. Joseph McCarthy was a US Senator that made claims that he knew about communists in the State Department and even in the US military. These claims caused an increased amount of paranoia among citizens. These individuals accused of communist activities or ties to the Soviet Union were brought before Congress through the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Trying to stop individuals who were supposedly spying would be possible to complete without this large amount of paranoia. Using only concrete evidence to call people in would help decrease the accusations.

This time period during the 1950's can be seen as more about individuals gaining political power, fame, or recognition rather than actually finding communists. Joseph McCarthy's rise to fame fueled his witch hunt, even though he never provided proof for his accusations.