The Growth of American Power Through Cold and Hot Wars 335political tactic [like using charges of “terrorism” today] was obvious and effec-
tive.
Beyond HUAC, the entire government began to feed into the hysteria over
domestic enemies. In March 1947, barely a week after he announced the
Truman Doctrine, the president also announced a loyalty program for federal
employees, and a great number of state and local governments followed suit
and set up their own loyalty programs. “Loyalty” was defined broadly so seem-
ingly mild criticisms of the government could land one in hot water, espe-
cially if a neighbor or co-worker was a snitch. Well over six million people
were subjected to loyalty checks, and many occupations, including govern-
ment workers and teachers, had to sign loyalty oaths to keep their jobs. An
overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety had taken hold, and the government
would use this to maintain political control.
And no one would exploit this hysteria more than an alcoholic, morphine-
addicted senator from Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy. While the power of using
anti-communism for political purposes was obvious, McCarthy took it to new
heights. Beginning in February 1950, McCarthy claimed that he had a list of
over 200 “known Communists” in the State Department. His numbers kept
changing—57 once, 81 another time, just 10 at one point—but he claimed
they had undermined the nation’s security and even helped the Chinese com-
munists win the civil war there against the Guomindang [the character of
Johnny Iselin in the 1962 film The Manchurian Candidate was based on
McCarthy]. Though McCarthy should have had little credibility, given his
own addictions and the unfounded nature of most of his allegations, he was
able to dominate the national debate on the cold war at home, and in large
part because at the same time he emerged with his anti-communist crusade,
one of the greatest spying scandals in U.S. history was uncovered. Julius and
Ethel Rosenberg, two political activists with communist connections, were
arrested and charged with spying for the Russians and helping them develop
their own atomic bomb. The Rosenberg case “proved” McCarthy’s point–that
communists inside the U.S. were working for the communists to destroy the
country from within.
The Rosenbergs became the symbol of cold war treachery and eventually
were convicted of conspiracy and, despite pleas from world leaders and the
pope, were executed for their crimes, leaving behind two young children.
McCarthy even went so far as to imply that General George Marshall, argu-