Communism: As seen by most Americans 1940s-1990s

1. Communism:As seen by most Americans 1940s-1990s

2. What did Americans understand about Communism? • Though other countries turned to Communism during this time period, the country that best illustrated it for Americans was the Soviet Union • At the root of Communism was an overthrow of the upper class, the government, and the established system (Capitalism and Democracy) • Somewhere around 20 million people died under the leadership of Stalin due to quick political murders and slow starvations • Communism started in just Russia but spread to the surrounding countries (which became part of the Soviet Union) and then Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, China, Albania, South Yemen, and more.

3. Soviet Union

5. The Spread of Communism (1960)

6. What did Americans fear about the Soviet Union? • “The Soviets” had the atomic bomb and Americans were afraid they would use it • A race to have the best technology (weapons, satellites, communications, etc) was on! • Space Race • Arms Race • The Soviets might have (and did have, but not in the amount some suspected) spies planted throughout the US • Many were afraid Communism would spread to the US like a disease through the ideas of secret Communists hidden in American towns…or Congress

7. American Reactions and Policies • Domino Theory: If one country fell to Communism, the surrounding countries would soon fall, too • Marshall Plan: rebuild Europe economically after WWII so that its countries wouldn’t want to turn to Communism • Containment: US plan to keep Communism from spreading • Prevent idea conditions using economic help (Marshall Plan) • When the USSR was aggressively expanding, fight back and stop them • McCarthyism: A witch-hunt for potential Communists in American government and Hollywood

8. The Domino Theory • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZh0C7cz_j0 • (Except add Laos and Cambodia)

10. McCarthyism: "Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party of the United States?" • Joseph McCarthy, a senator, gave a speech in 1950 where he held up a list of 205 names of “known” and “card-carrying” Communists in the American government • A witch-hunt began to search out the accused (and others) • Many were accused, though there were no convictions for subversion by the end • Many actors and writers in Hollywood were accused and blacklisted (put on a list so that they would never be hired again)…some returned to work after the 1950s, but some never worked again • “McCarthyism” became a term to describe accusing people of disloyalty without real evidence • The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) had been formed in 1938 to root out unpatriotic activities (like being Communist)… the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee also took care of such investigations after McCarthyism died down • J. Edgar Hoover (head of the FBI) assigned 400 agents to root out Communists and only 4 to organized crime

12. How to spot a Communist • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkYl_AH-qyk&feature=related

13. End of Ze World: What People Feared • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95NfCJMF07E

14. Duck and Cover: Film to educate children on how to respond to an atomic bomb explosion • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKqXu-5jw60

15. Boy Meets…the Cold War • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3vrkA6eoE0 • 1:15 • 6:00-11ish

16. Rocky and Bullwinkle: 1960s and 1970s • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHqy-chPMnM

17. Rambo • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVUCdy36TKE

18. James Bond

19. Rocky • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8xHjC27YvM

20. Conclusion: • Sylvester Stallone defeated Communism. • The end.