The 1950’s was a joyous time. The U.S had just finished WWII and everybody in America was rejoicing. However all was not as it seemed. The Soviet Union was still around and their goal: spread communism throughout the east. Soon people began to realize that all was not well. They began to get scared. President Truman did not know what to do. Fear spread across the nation. Foreigners who used to live in a communist country were not treated very well. Eisenhower was elected because most people had thought Truman was too passive against the Soviets. The U.S was willing to support any government that was not communist. Latin America and Iran viewed with distrust.
In 1951, one of the most famed cases about communism and traitors was that of Julius and Ethel Rosenburg. They were convicted of haring atomic secrets with the Soviets. Little evidence was proven that they had indeed shared atomic secrets but at the time America was scared of communism so they were convicted and executed. Anger flew across the nation that they had been wrongfully judged. |
Even pop culture in the 1950’s reflected tensions. The James Bond movie in 1953 was about Soviet Union and stopping communism.
Racism towards immigrants coming in was even worse. The “red scare” was when immigrants were questioned if they are or have ever been a communist. “McCarthyism surfaced which was accusing people without correct evidence of being communist. However, all foreign policy was not bad. The U.S formed the United Nations, which was to keep peace around the world. Also the countries who were not communist were pretty much friends of the U.S. So in the 1950’s foreign policy was all over the place. We had highs and lows. The main thing was however back then: If you were a communist, you can guarantee that you are not friends of the U.S. |