what policy caused the americans to intervene in korea?

The Military Implementation of Containment

The Korean War was the starting time militarized example of containment, as U.S. and Republic of korea fought against communist N Korea.

Learning Objectives

Summarize the causes and course of U.S. involvement in Korea

Key Takeaways

Key Points

• In June 1950, North Korean troops surged across the border into South korea, triggering the offset major confrontation betwixt the forces of the communist and non-communist worlds.
• The Korean War was the first time the policy of containment spread outside the initial Asian defense perimeter as defined by the U.Southward. Secretary of State.
• The success of the Inchon landing inspired the U.Due south. and the United nations to adopt a rollback strategy to overthrow the Communist North Korean regime, which was afterwards revoked after the Chinese Army intervened.
• The terminate-fire armistice that resulted from the Korean conflict divided Korea into a Communist northern land and a republican southern country, with a demilitarized zone between the 2 territories that remains to this solar day.
• Currently, American troops are still stationed in Republic of korea.

Key Terms

• Douglas MacArthur: An American ground forces general and field marshal of the Philippine Ground forces who was Chief of Staff of the United states Regular army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He led the U.Due north. forces during the Korean War.
• containment: A U.s. policy using numerous strategies to preclude the spread of communism abroad. A component of the Cold War, this policy was a response to a serial of moves by the Soviet Spousal relationship to enlarge communist influence in Eastern Europe, Prc, Korea, and Vietnam. It represented a heart-ground position betwixt détente and rollback.

Containment and the Korean State of war

Containment was the major Common cold War policy of the United states of america and its allies to prevent the spread of communism abroad. This policy was a response to a series of moves by the Soviet Union to enlarge communist influence in Eastern Europe, China, Korea, Africa, and Vietnam. Containment represented a centre-basis position between detente (the easing of strained political relations) and rollback (forcing alter in the major policies of a state, ordinarily past replacing its ruling regime). It lets the opponent choose the place and time of whatever confrontation. During the Cold War it meant intervening to prevent the spread of Communism to new countries just not attacking nations that were already Communist.

In line with this policy, the U.S. attempted to curb Soviet influence on the Korean Peninsula past occupying the southern part of that area. The expanse occupied past the U.South. became South Korea, while the other office became Democratic people's republic of korea. North korea soon passed into the control of the Communist Party.

In May 1949, fighting betwixt North and South Korean troops broke out near the edge between the two nations. In an try to add South Korea to the Communist Earth, Democratic people's republic of korea invaded Republic of korea in 1950. The People's Republic of Communist china and the Soviet Union lent their support to Northward Korea, while the United States did the same to South Korea. On June 25, 1950, a large military forcefulness moved beyond the 38^th parallel in the Commonwealth of Korea.

On Saturday, June 24, 1950, U.S. Secretary of Land Dean Acheson informed President Truman past telephone, "Mr. President, I have very serious news. The North Koreans have invaded South Korea." Truman and Acheson discussed a U.S. invasion response with defense section principals, who agreed that the United states of america was obligated to repel war machine assailment. They likened the situation to Adolf Hitler'south aggressions in the 1930s, and said that the fault of appeasement must not be repeated. In his autobiography, President Truman acknowledged that fighting the invasion was essential to the American goal of the global containment of communism as outlined in the National Security Council Report 68 (NSC-68). The Korean War was the get-go militarized instance of containment, every bit U.South. and South Korea fought against communist North Korea.

On June 27, 1950, the Un Security Council kickoff adopted a ceasefire resolution. When the Un Security Council voted to aid South Korea in stopping North Korean aggression, the U.S. agreed to send troops to the Korean Peninsula. General Douglas MacArthur was given the command of Un troops in Korea. The U.S. agreed to transport troops over on June 30 forth with increasing assist to the French fight confronting Communists rebels in Indochina. MacArthur was placed in control on July 8. At the outset the U.S. troops lacked training and were out of shape. In the first few weeks of fighting, the U.Due south. troops were pushed dorsum to a defensive perimeter at Pusan.

Incheon: US success at Incheon encouraged UN and United states forces to pursue a policy of rollback in Korea. This photo depicts General MacArthur observing the Incheon Landing.

Every bit a counter-offensive, MacArther launched the Inchon Landing, a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the Un. The success of the Inchon landing inspired the U.Southward. and the United nations to prefer a rollback strategy to overthrow the Communist North Korean authorities, thus allowing nationwide elections under U.N. auspices. General Douglas MacArthur then avant-garde across the 38th parallel into Due north Korea. The Chinese sent in a large army and defeated the U.N. forces, pushing them below the 38th parallel. Although the Chinese had been planning to intervene for months, this action was interpreted past Truman's supporters as a response to U.Due south. forces crossing the 38th parallel. This allowed the episode to exist used to ostend the wisdom of containment doctrine as opposed to rollback. The Communists were later pushed back to around the original border. Truman blamed MacArthur's focus on victory and adopted a "limited state of war" policy. His focus shifted to negotiating a settlement, which was finally reached in 1953. For his part, MacArthur denounced Truman'due south "no-win policy."

Chinese forces enter Korea: Chinese forces crossed the Yalu River and joined the Korean War. Chinese entrance into the War prolonged the conflict and increased tensions between the U.Due south. and China.

While not directly committing forces to the conflict, the Soviet Union provided fabric assistance to both the Due north Korean and Chinese armies. The fighting ended on July 27, 1953, when the armistice agreement was signed. The understanding restored the edge between the Koreas most the 38^th Parallel and created the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a 2.5-mile-wide fortified buffer zone between the two Korean nations. Modest incidents still continue today.

The Korean War

The Korean War was i of the most significant events of the Common cold War, caused largely past the broader tensions between America and the Soviet Union.

Learning Objectives

Describe the progression of the Korean State of war and the cost to human life and general resources

Key Takeaways

Key Points

• The Korean War was primarily the effect of the political division of Korea past an agreement of the victorious Allies at the conclusion of the Pacific War at the end of World State of war 2.
• In June 1950, the Soviet and Chinese backed North Korean People's Army invaded South Korea.
• The UN responded by coming to the aid of South korea, led mainly by the United States.
• In September 1950, the U.Southward. military led a successful attack on North korea, which led to China sending troops to back up the North Korean Regular army.
• Somewhen, after an intense war of attrition, an armistice was signed that created a demilitarized zone between North and South Korea; however, no peace treaty was ever signed and the state of war continues to this twenty-four hour period.
• During the main years of fighting, approximately 1.ii million people died on all sides of the conflict.

Central Terms

• 38th parallel: This latitudinal parallel divides the Korean peninsula roughly in the middle. In 1948, this parallel became the purlieus between the Democratic People'south Republic of korea (North korea) and the Republic of korea (Republic of korea), both of which claim to be the regime of the whole of Korea.
• state of war of attrition: A military strategy in which a belligerent attempts to win a war by wearing down the enemy to the betoken of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and materiel.
• Joseph Stalin: The leader of the Soviet Matrimony from the mid-1920s until his decease in 1953.

Overview

The Korean State of war began when North korea invaded South Korea in 1950. The Un, with the U.s.a. every bit the chief force, came to the aid of Republic of korea. China, with aid from the Soviet Union, came to the aid of N Korea. The state of war arose from the division of Korea at the end of Globe War II and from the global tensions of the Cold State of war that adult immediately later.

Korea was ruled past Nihon from 1910 until the closing days of World State of war Ii. In August 1945, the Soviet Union alleged war on Nippon equally a result of an agreement with the The states and liberated Korea north of the 38th parallel. U.South. forces subsequently moved into the southward. By 1948, as a product of the Cold War betwixt the Soviet Union and the U.s.a., Korea was carve up in to ii separate governments. Both claimed to be the legitimate government of Korea, and neither side accepted the edge every bit permanent. The civil war escalated into open warfare when North Korean forces—supported past the Soviet Wedlock and China—moved to the southward to unite the state on June 25, 1950. On that 24-hour interval, the United Nations Security Quango recognized this N Korean act as invasion and called for an immediate ceasefire. Xx-one countries of the United nations eventually contributed to the defence force of South korea, with the United States providing 88% of the United nations's armed services personnel. On the Due north Korean side, Joseph Stalin "planned, prepared, and initiated" the invasion, creating "detailed [war] plans" that were communicated to the North Koreans.

After the start ii months of the conflict, South Korean forces were on the point of defeat, forced dorsum to the Pusan Perimeter. In September 1950, an amphibious UN counter-offensive was launched at Inchon and cut off many of the Northward Korean attackers. Those that escaped envelopment and capture were rapidly forced back north all the way to the edge with China at the Yalu River, or into the mountainous interior. At this point, in October 1950, Chinese forces crossed the Yalu and entered the state of war. Chinese intervention triggered a retreat of United nations forces that continued until mid-1951. After these dramatic reversals of fortune, which saw Seoul change hands four times, the terminal ii years of conflict became a state of war of compunction, with the front line close to the 38th parallel. The state of war in the air, however, was never a stalemate. North Korea was bailiwick to a massive bombing campaign. Jet fighters confronted each other in air-to-air combat for the first time in history, and Soviet pilots covertly flew in defense of their Communist allies.

Every bit a result of early Chinese tactical successes, General Douglas MacArthur, who was in control of U.N. forces in Korea, argued in favor of using nuclear weapons against China and/or the North Korean interior in gild to disrupt Chinese supply lines and strength negotiations. MacArthur attempted to orchestrate public support for bombing China and assisting an invasion of the mainland by KMT forces led by Chiang Kai-shek. MacArthur'due south stance contributed to his controversial dismissal by President Truman. In April 1951, Truman relieved MacArthur of his duties and replaced him with Ridgway.

The fighting concluded on July 27, 1953, when an armistice was signed. The understanding created the Korean Demilitarized Zone to separate North and Republic of korea and allowed the return of prisoners. However, no peace treaty has been signed, and the two Koreas are technically still at state of war. Periodic clashes, many mortiferous, accept continued to the present.

U.S. Intervention

The Truman administration was unprepared for the invasion. Korea was non included in the strategic Asian Defence force Perimeter outlined past Secretary of Land Dean Acheson. Military strategists were more concerned with the security of Europe against the Soviet Wedlock than Eastern asia. At the same fourth dimension, the Administration was worried that a war in Korea could apace widen into another world war should the Chinese or Soviets determine to get involved.

A major consideration was the possible Soviet reaction in the effect of U.S. intervention. The Truman administration was fretful that a war in Korea was a diversionary assail that would escalate to a general war in Europe once the United states of america committed in Korea. At the aforementioned fourth dimension, "[t]hither was no suggestion from anyone that the Un or the United states of america could back away from [the conflict]." Truman believed if aggression went unchecked, a concatenation reaction would exist initiated that would marginalize the United Nations and encourage Communist aggression elsewhere. The Truman administration was all the same uncertain if the attack was a ploy by the Soviet Union or merely a examination of U.S. resolve. The decision to commit ground troops became viable when a communiqué was received on June 27 indicating the Soviet Union would not move against U.S. forces in Korea. The Truman assistants at present believed it could intervene in Korea without undermining its commitments elsewhere.

Casualties

Co-ordinate to the data from the U.S. Department of Defense, the United states suffered 33,686 battle deaths and two,830 non-battle deaths during the Korean War. U.S. battle deaths were viii,516 before its first date with the Chinese on November 1, 1950. Republic of korea reported 373,599 civilian and 137,899 military machine deaths. Western sources judge the PVA suffered near 400,000 killed and 486,000 wounded, while the KPA suffered 215,000 killed and 303,000 wounded.

Data from official Chinese sources, on the other paw, reported that the PVA had suffered 114,000 battle deaths, 34,000 non-battle deaths, 340,000 wounded, seven,600 missing, and 21,400 captured during the war. Amid those captured, about 14,000 defected to Taiwan, while the other 7,110 were repatriated to Mainland china. Chinese sources too reported that North Korea suffered 290,000 casualties, 90,000 captured and a "big" number of civilian deaths.

Recent scholarship has put the full battle expiry price on all sides at just over ane.ii million.

Aftermath

Postwar recovery was different in the two Koreas. Due south Korea stagnated in the outset postwar decade. In 1953, South Korea and the United states ended a Common Defence Treaty. In 1960, the April Revolution occurred and students joined an anti-Syngman Rhee demonstration; 142 were killed by police, leading Rhee to resign and flee to the U.s.a..

From 1965 to 1973, South korea dispatched troops to Vietnam and received $235,560,000 allowance and military machine procurement from the U.S. GNP increased five-fold during the Vietnam War. South korea industrialized and modernized. Contemporary Democratic people's republic of korea remains underdeveloped. Due south Korea had one of the world's fastest-growing economies from the early on 1960s to the tardily 1990s.

Post-obit extensive USAF bombing, North korea "had been most destroyed as an industrial guild." After the ceasefire, Kim Il-Sung requested Soviet economic and industrial assistance. In September 1953, the Soviet regime agreed to "cancel or postpone repayment for all… outstanding debts," and promised to grant Democratic people's republic of korea one billion rubles in monetary aid, industrial equipment, and consumer goods. Eastern European members of the Soviet Bloc besides contributed with "logistical support, technical aid, [and] medical supplies." Prc cancelled North korea'southward war debts, provided 800 million yuan, promised trade cooperation, and sent in thousands of troops to rebuild damaged infrastructure.

Postwar, almost 100,000 Northward Koreans were executed in purges. According to Rummel, forced labor and concentration camps were responsible for over i meg deaths in North Korea from 1945 to 1987; others take estimated 400,000 deaths in concentration camps solitary. Estimates based on the most contempo Due north Korean census propose that 240,000 to 420,000 people died as a result of the 1990s Northward Korean dearth and that there were 600,000 to 850,000 unnatural deaths in Democratic people's republic of korea from 1993 to 2008. The Due north Korean government has been defendant of "crimes against humanity" for its declared culpability in creating and prolonging the 1990s famine.

S Korean anti-Americanism after the state of war was fueled by the presence and beliefs of American military machine personnel (USFK) and U.Southward. back up for the disciplinarian authorities, a fact still evident during the state's democratic transition in the 1980s. However, anti-Americanism has declined significantly in Republic of korea in contempo years, from 46% favorable in 2003 to 74% favorable in 2011, making S Korea one of the most pro-American countries in the world.

Korean War Montage: Clockwise from acme: A column of the U.Due south. 1st Marine Division'due south infantry and armor moves through Chinese lines during their breakout from the Chosin Reservoir; United nations landing at Incheon harbor, starting betoken of the Battle of Incheon; Korean refugees in forepart of an American M26 Pershing tank; U.S. Marines, led past Outset Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez, landing at Incheon; F-86 Sabre fighter aircraft.

The Armistice

An armistice armistice in 1953 concluded fighting in Korea and established a buffer zone between North and South korea, just tensions remain.

Learning Objectives

Evaluate the event of the Korean War

Key Takeaways

Key Points

• The need for an armistice agreement in Korea was informed by the territorial stalemate established by July 1951, the heavy destruction inflicted during the war, and the increasing U.S. want to extract itself from the disharmonize.
• Though an armistice armistice was agreed upon, tensions remain along their shared border, and the two nations are technically still in a land of war.
• The demilitarized zone along the N and Due south Korean border was conceived as a buffer between the two countries to safeguard against hereafter hostilities, though a number of North Korean incursions have been attempted since the ceasefire has been established.
• The Korean War resulted in the loss of over lx,000 U.Southward. and U.North. soldiers, with millions of Chinese and Northward Korean soldiers and Korean civilians perishing as well.
• The Korean War was the first utilise of the Truman Doctrine 's policy of containment. Information technology resulted in greater tensions between the U.S. and China, and farther divided the U.S. and the Soviet Matrimony.

Primal Terms

• Truman Doctrine: The American policy in 1947 of providing economic and war machine assistance to Greece and Turkey because they were threatened by communism. It was the start of the containment policy to stop Soviet expansion and a major footstep in first the Cold War.
• containment: A United States policy using numerous strategies to foreclose the spread of communism away. A component of the Cold War, this policy was a response to a series of moves by the Soviet Union to enlarge communist influence in Eastern Europe, Communist china, Korea, and Vietnam. It represented a middle-footing position between détente and rollback.
• Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ): This strip of land separates Democratic people's republic of korea and South Korea. It was created as function of the Korean Armistice Agreement between North Korean, People'south Republic of China, and Un Control forces in 1953.

The 38th Parallel

The 38th parallel north—which divides the Korean Peninsula roughly in one-half—was the original boundary betwixt the United States and Soviet Union'south cursory administration areas of Korea at the terminate of World War II. Upon the creation of the Democratic People's Republic of korea (DPRK, informally Democratic people's republic of korea) and the Republic of Korea (ROK, informally South korea) in 1948, information technology became a de facto international border and one of the most tense fronts in the Common cold War.

Both the North and the South remained dependent on their sponsor states from 1948 to the outbreak of the Korean State of war. That conflict, which claimed more than three million lives and divided the Korean Peninsula along ideological lines, commenced on June 25, 1950, with a full-front DPRK invasion across the 38th parallel. It ended in 1953 afterward international intervention pushed the front of the state of war back to near the 38th parallel.

Stalemate in Korea

Later on N Korean forces invaded Due south Korea in 1950, it only took two months for the South Korean and Un forces to be pushed back to a pocket-size expanse in the south. A rapid U.N. counter-offensive so drove the N Koreans past the 38^th Parallel and almost to the Yalu River, when Prc entered the war on the side of Due north Korea. Chinese intervention forced the Southern-allied forces to retreat behind the 38^thursday Parallel.

Armistice and the DMZ

The changes in territory stopped there, with both sides in their original positions near the 38^th Parallel. For the balance of the war, both sides were dug in trenches and no side appeared to be winning. Almost equally many bombs as were dropped on Germany during the whole of World War II were dropped on the cities in Northward Korea. The need for an armistice agreement in Korea was informed past this territorial stalemate established by July 1951, the heavy devastation inflicted during the state of war, and the increasing U.Due south. want to extract itself from the conflict. Peace negotiations started on July 10, 1950, just a ceasefire was not reached until 1953.

The fighting ended on July 27, 1953, when the armistice agreement was signed, restoring the border between the Koreas near the 38^th Parallel. Information technology was agreed that a buffer zone, called the Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ), would be built between North and South Korea, running from the northeast of the 38^th parallel to the southwest. It still stands as the about heavily defended border in the globe, dedicated by South Korean/U.S. troops on one side and North Korean troops on the other. No peace treaty was signed between North and S—merely a ceasefire—so technically they are withal in a state of state of war.

Owing to this theoretical stalemate, and genuine hostility betwixt the Northward and the Southward, large numbers of troops are still stationed along both sides of the line, each side guarding against potential aggression from the other side. The armistice agreement explains exactly how many military personnel and what kind of weapons are allowed in the DMZ. Soldiers from both sides may patrol inside the DMZ, only they may not cantankerous the MDL; ROK soldiers, however heavily armed, patrol every bit military police force and have memorized each line of the armistice. Sporadic outbreaks of violence accept killed more than 500 South Korean soldiers, 50 U.S. soldiers, and 250 soldiers from DPRK along the DMZ between 1953 and 1999.

North korea DMZ: A portion of the North Korean DMZ seen from the Joint Security Area in Jan 1976. This border is one of the most heavily fortified in the world.

Korean Outcome: A map of the Demilitarized Zone, established by the 1953 armistice agreement that ended the Korean War.

Results of the War

The U.Southward. lost about 54,000 troops in the conflict and another seven,000 U.North. troops were killed. The prey figures were even higher for the Chinese/Northward Koreans—an estimated 2 million to iv million were killed or wounded. Millions more Korean civilians died.

The Korean war was the first time the Truman Doctrine, the containment of the spread of communism, was put into activeness. It was also the first e'er time that the U.Due north. undertook a military performance. The war had mixed effects—it sent a clear bulletin that the West would non tolerate whatever threat to its allies or sphere of influence no matter how far abroad they were on the map, and was prepared to defend it using force if necessary. However, engaging in the Korean War too resulted in the U.Due south. making even more enemies (this time with China and North korea), and doomed already strained relations with the Soviet Marriage.

McCarthyism

"McCarthyism" is a term arising from the paranoia of the Second Scarlet Scare in the United states of america from 1950-54, which was fed past Joseph McCarthy, a U.South. senator from Wisconsin.

Learning Objectives

Examine diverse manifestations of the Red Scare of the 1950s

Key Takeaways

Key Points

• Beginning in 1950, Joseph McCarthy used his position every bit a U.S. senator to make ofttimes sensational accusations of Communist infiltration into the Land Section, the administration of President Harry S. Truman, and the U.s. Ground forces.
• McCarthyism is the exercise of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper show.
• During the McCarthy era, thousands of Americans were accused of being communists or communist sympathizers. They became the bailiwick of ambitious investigations and questioning before government or private-industry panels, committees, and agencies.
• Senator McCarthy attempted to accuse the U.S. Army of anti-U.S. leanings in televised hearings, just Ground forces lawyer Joseph Welch accused the Senator of being shameless and dishonorable as spectators applauded.
• Due to the largely reckless and disgraceful nature of the McCarthy motion and the number of innocent individuals whose lives information technology derailed, the term "McCarthyism" has a pejorative tone, and the 2d Red Scare is generally regarded equally a night menstruum in domestic American politics.

Cardinal Terms

• 2nd Reddish Scare: This event occurred after World War II (1939–45), and was popularly known equally "McCarthyism" subsequently its almost famous supporter and namesake, Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthyism coincided with increased pop fear of communist espionage consequent to a Soviet Eastern Europe, the Berlin Blockade (1948–49), the Chinese Civil War, the confessions of spying for the Soviet Matrimony given past several loftier-ranking U.South. authorities officials, and the Korean War.
• McCarthyism: The intense opposition, countering, fear, and/or suspicion of Communism, especially in the United States during the 1950s led by Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin.

Origins of McCarthyism

The historical menstruum that came to be known every bit the McCarthy era began well before Joseph McCarthy'southward involvement. Many factors contributed to McCarthyism, some extending back to the years of the Showtime Red Scare (1917–xx), inspired by Communism 'due south emergence as a recognized political force. Cheers in role to its success in organizing labor unions and its early on opposition to fascism, the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) increased its membership through the 1930s, reaching a peak of about 75,000 members in 1940-41. While the The states was engaged in World War II and allied with the Soviet Matrimony, the result of anti-communism was largely muted. With the end of World War II, the Cold War began nearly immediately, as the Soviet Union installed Communist puppet régimes across Central and Eastern Europe while the United States backed anti-communist forces in Hellenic republic and China.

Events in 1949 and 1950 sharply increased the sense of threat from Communism in the Usa. The Soviet Spousal relationship tested an diminutive bomb in 1949, before than many analysts had expected. That same yr, Mao Zedong 'south Communist army gained control of mainland Red china despite heavy American financial support of the opposing Kuomintang. In 1950, the Korean State of war began, pitting U.South., U.Northward., and South Korean forces against Communists from North korea and China. The following yr saw several significant developments in Soviet Cold War espionage activities.

More than subtle forces also encouraged the ascent of McCarthyism. It was long a practice of conservative politicians to refer to progressive reforms such equally child labor laws and women's suffrage every bit "Communist" or "Red plots." This trend increased in the 1930s in reaction to the New Deal policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Many conservatives equated the New Bargain with socialism or Communism, and saw its policies as evidence that the government had been heavily influenced past Communist policy-makers in the Roosevelt administration. In full general, the vaguely defined danger of "Communist influence" was a more than common theme in the rhetoric of anti-Communist politicians than espionage or whatsoever other specific activity.

Senator Joseph McCarthy: A photo of Sen. Joseph McCarthy.

McCarthyism and the Second Red Scare

McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the Usa known as the 2d Red Scare, lasting roughly from 1950 to 1956 and characterized by heightened fears of communist influence on American institutions and espionage by Soviet agents. Originally coined to criticize the anti-communist pursuits of Republican U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, "McCarthyism" before long took on a broader meaning, describing the excesses of similar efforts. The term is now used more generally to depict reckless, unsubstantiated accusations, demagogic attacks on the graphic symbol, or patriotism of political adversaries.

While Communism was expanding across Europe and Asia, the U.s. entered an era of paranoia known as the Red Scare. Joseph McCarthy, Republican senator from Wisconsin, gained sudden prominence for his dramatic accusations of Communist espionage and influence within the U.S. government. Starting time with a dramatic speech in 1950 from Wheeling, West Virginia, McCarthy used his position to make often sensational accusations of Communist infiltration into the State Department, the Autonomous administration of President Harry Southward. Truman, and the Usa Army. During that speech, he produced a piece of paper which he claimed contained a list of known Communists working for the State Section. McCarthy is usually quoted as saying: "I have here in my manus a list of 205—a listing of names that were made known to the Secretarial assistant of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are all the same working and shaping policy in the State Department." This oral communication resulted in a flood of press attention to McCarthy and established the path that fabricated him one of the nigh recognized politicians in the Usa.

During the McCarthy era, thousands of Americans were defendant of being Communists or Communist sympathizers and became the subject area of ambitious investigations and questioning earlier government or private-industry panels, committees, and agencies. The primary targets of such suspicions were government employees, homosexuals, those in the entertainment industry, educators, and marriage activists. Suspicions were often given acceptance despite inconclusive or questionable evidence, and the level of threat posed by a person's real or supposed leftist associations or beliefs was oftentimes greatly exaggerated. Many people suffered loss of employment and/or devastation of their careers; some fifty-fifty suffered imprisonment.

Most of these punishments came about through trial verdicts after overturned, laws that would be declared unconstitutional, dismissals for reasons after declared illegal or actionable, or extra-legal procedures that would come into general disrepute.

The near famous examples of McCarthyism include the speeches, investigations, and hearings of Senator McCarthy himself; the Hollywood blacklist, associated with hearings conducted by the House Un-American Activities Commission (HUAC); and the diverse anti-communist activities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) under Director J. Edgar Hoover. McCarthyism was a widespread social and cultural miracle that afflicted all levels of social club and was the source of a great bargain of debate and disharmonize in the United States.

Victims of McCarthyism

Information technology is difficult to guess the number of victims of McCarthy. The number imprisoned is in the hundreds, and some x,000 to 12,000 lost their jobs. In many cases, simply being subpoenaed by HUAC or 1 of the other committees was sufficient cause to be fired. Many who were imprisoned, lost their jobs, or were questioned by committees did in fact accept a by or present connection with the Communist Party. Only for the vast majority, both the potential for them to harm the nation and the nature of their communist amalgamation were tenuous. After the extremely dissentious "Cambridge Five" spy scandal (Burgess, Maclean, Philby, Blunt, et al.), suspected homosexuality was also a common cause for existence targeted past McCarthyism. The hunt for "sexual perverts," presumed to exist destructive by nature, resulted in thousands beingness harassed and denied employment. Many have termed this attribute of McCarthyism the "Lavender Scare."

In the moving picture industry, more 300 actors, authors, and directors were denied work in the U.S. through the unofficial Hollywood blacklist. Blacklists were at work throughout the amusement industry, in universities and schools at all levels, in the legal profession, and in many other fields. A port security plan initiated by the Coast Guard shortly after the start of the Korean War required a review of every maritime worker who loaded or worked aboard any American ship, regardless of cargo or destination. As with other loyalty-security reviews of McCarthyism, the identities of accusers and even the nature of accusations were typically kept secret from the defendant. Nearly iii,000 seamen and longshoremen lost their jobs due to this programme solitary.

The End of McCarthyism

McCarthyism began to lose its potency as the perceived threat of Communism receded during the latter one-half of the 1950s, fifty-fifty as McCarthy and others overreached politically. Arguably, the movement's nigh dramatic loss of credibility came when Senator McCarthy attempted to accuse the U.Due south. Army of anti-U.Due south. leanings. In televised hearings, Army lawyer Joseph Welch accused the Senator of being shameless and dishonorable as spectators applauded.

In 1957, the Supreme Courtroom ruled on the instance of Watkins five. The states, curtailing the power of HUAC to punish uncooperative witnesses by finding them in antipathy of Congress. Justice Warren wrote in the determination: "The mere summoning of a witness and compelling him to testify, against his will, about his beliefs, expressions or associations is a mensurate of governmental interference. And when those forced revelations business organization matters that are unorthodox, unpopular, or even mean to the general public, the reaction in the life of the witness may be disastrous."

Is This Tomorrow: A 1947 propaganda comic book raising the specter of a Communist takeover. McCarthy played on Communist fears in the U.S. during the Second Carmine Scare.

Korea, Communism, and the 1952 Ballot

The 1952 Presidential election hinged on the issues of Korea, Communism, and corruption.

Learning Objectives

Examine the role of Cold War issues in U.Southward. politics of the 1950s

Key Takeaways

Key Points

• Unpopular incumbent President Harry S. Truman decided non to run, so the Democratic Party instead nominated Governor Adlai Stevenson Ii of Illinois. Stevenson had gained a reputation in Illinois as an intellectual and eloquent orator.
• The Republican Political party countered with pop war hero Full general Dwight D. Eisenhower and won in a landslide, ending 20 consecutive years of Democratic control of the White House.
• Dwight Eisenhower campaigned on a ticket promising victories against "Korea, Communism, and Corruption."

Key Terms

• stalemate: The land in which combatants cannot advance, resulting in a draw.
• Communism: A revolutionary socialist motility to create a classless, moneyless, and stateless social order structured upon common ownership of the means of production, as well as a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the institution of this social society. This motility, in its Marxist-Leninist interpretations, significantly influenced the history of the 20th century, which saw intense rivalry between the "socialist world" (socialist states ruled by communist parties) and the "western world" (countries with capitalist economies).

Election of 1952

The United States presidential election of 1952 was the 42^nd presidential election. Cold State of war tension between the United states of america and the Soviet Union was at its peak. In the United States Senate, Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin had become a national figure after chairing congressional investigations into the effect of Communist spies within the U.S. regime. McCarthy's so-chosen "witch chase," combined with national tension and weariness after two years of bloody stalemate in the Korean State of war, the Communist Revolution in China, the 1949 Soviet acquisition of nuclear weapons, and the early on-1950s economic recession, gear up the stage for a hotly contested presidential race.

Nominees

Incumbent President Harry S. Truman, who as early as 1950 had decided not to run, decided to back current Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson. As in 1948, President Truman reached out to General Dwight D. Eisenhower to see if he had interest in heading the Democratic ticket. Eisenhower demurred at the time and then wound upwardly heading the Republican ticket. The Democratic Party instead nominated Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois. Stevenson had gained a reputation in Illinois as an intellectual and eloquent orator, merely had vacillated a peachy deal on whether he even wanted to run for the presidency. President Truman had several meetings with Stevenson about the his desire for Stevenson to get the standard bearer for the party. Truman became very frustrated with Stevenson and his indecision before committing to run.

The Republican Party saw a contest between the internationalist and neutralist perspectives. Senator Robert A. Taft said that isolationism was dead, just saw little role for the U.s. in the Cold War. Eisenhower, the NATO commander and state of war hero, narrowly defeated Taft, then crusaded against the Truman policies he blasted equally "Korea, Communism and Corruption." Ike, as they called him, did well in all major demographic and regional groups outside the Deep South. Eisenhower won in a landslide, catastrophe 20 consecutive years of Democratic control of the White House.

Campaigns

The Eisenhower campaign was ane of the beginning presidential campaigns to make a major, concerted effort to win the female vote. Many of his radio and television commercials discussed topics such as education, inflation, catastrophe the war in Korea, and other issues idea to appeal to women. The Eisenhower campaign made extensive use of female person campaign workers who made telephone calls to likely Eisenhower voters, distributed "Ike" buttons and leaflets, and gave parties to build back up for the GOP ticket in their neighborhoods. On ballot day, Eisenhower won a solid majority of the female person vote.

"I like Ike": Eisenhower presidential campaign in Baltimore, Maryland, September 1952, featuring the popular entrada slogan: "I Like Ike."

Eisenhower campaigned by attacking "Korea, Communism, and Abuse"—that is, what the Republicans regarded every bit the failures of the outgoing Truman administration to bargain with these issues. The campaign defendant the administration of neglecting Latin America and thus leading them into the artillery of wily Communist agents waiting to exploit local misery and capitalize on any opening to communize America. Charges that Soviet spies had infiltrated the authorities plagued the Truman Administration and became a major campaign consequence for Eisenhower. The Republicans blamed the Democrats for the armed forces'south failure to be fully prepared to fight in Korea, defendant the Democrats of "harboring" Communist spies within the federal authorities, and blasted the Truman Assistants for the numbers of officials who had been accused of various crimes.

In render, the Democrats criticized Senator Joseph McCarthy and other Republican conservatives as "fearmongers" who were recklessly trampling on the civil liberties of government employees.

Many Democrats were particularly upset when Eisenhower, on a scheduled entrada swing through Wisconsin, decided non to give a speech communication he had written criticizing McCarthy's methods, then immune himself to be photographed shaking hands with McCarthy equally if he supported him. Truman, formerly friends with Eisenhower, never forgot what he saw as a betrayal; he previously thought Eisenhower would make a good president, but said, "he has betrayed almost everything I thought he stood for."

Despite these mishaps, Eisenhower retained his enormous personal popularity from his leading office in World State of war Two, and huge crowds turned out to see him around the nation. His campaign slogan, "I Like Ike," was i of the about pop in American history. Stevenson full-bodied on giving a series of thoughtful speeches effectually the nation; he too drew large crowds. Although his style thrilled intellectuals and academics, some political experts wondered if he were speaking "over the heads" of most of his listeners and dubbed him an "egghead," based on his baldness and intellectual demeanor. Eisenhower maintained a comfy pb in the polls throughout virtually of the campaign.

Results

On ballot day, Eisenhower won a decisive victory, receiving more than 55% of the popular vote and conveying 39 of the 48 states. He took three Southern states that the Republicans had won just once since Reconstruction: Virginia, Florida, and Texas. This election was the first in which a estimator (the UNIVAC I) was used to predict the results.

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Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ushistory/chapter/the-korean-war/

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