Category: Red Scare

Introduction to the Red Scare and Salem Witch Trials

The grey murky sky turned in an instant and became a bright, vibrant red tinge as if the devil himself had cast a spell of darkness, destruction and set the entire sky alight. The aftermath of spit fires between them and us caused great uncertainty and upheaval. Plane parts and enormous sparks from plane engines plummeted from great heights at a fairly high speed crashing on departure, making the earth tremble in absolute horror as those on the ground looked onward, helplessly. The smell was so vulgar, after a while I became desensitised to it. The smell of dead bodies on top of each other as if they were cradling each other for comfort.

Despite the fact the surrounding area was a war zone there were trees shattered inside and out, at a forty-five degree angle. However, it had some lovely long, shrugged, tall grass that looked splendid despite the unfortunate situation. Conveying no man’s land – arranged ground between two opposing armies – which you would presume was once upon a time full of life, thriving and holding many great wonders; nature, plants, trees, animals and long shrugged grass which had likely been cut. Kneeling down hidden in the shrugged grass surveying the area around me as I lay perched with my platoon in the midst of horror. Suddenly, unable to move, motionless from the legs down.

Endlessly skewering for salvation, refuge or even the slightest sign of human life, for hours upon end, it soon became pointless. A figment of my imagination, a fantasy I was longing for. The gory event, in which I had been injured, sent shivers down my spine yet for some bizarre reason which is unknown I can’t forget it. Reliving every single second in my head in slow motion, like clockwork. Utterly mind-numbing, soul-destroying. It happened so fast, in a matter of seconds. I didn’t have time to react. One minute we were all together, then the next thing I knew they were gone. They just vanished, disappeared into the mist. Friend’s bodies, limbs and even bones could be seen scattered.

Such a devastating thing which was binding them and us together. Both sides were feeling great pain, anguish and sorrow. The field of blood was stained and tainted with loathing and hatred it acted as an artery circulating blood throughout the whole body of no-man’s land.

Trying to unbundle, decrypt the utter madness that had arosen, reliving the screams of friends, as they lay dying. My mind slowly but surely disintegrated.

“Gas! Gas! Hurry, get geared up lads! Quick, put it on!”

The words were shouted out by the commander of our platoon as the devious yet silent, deadly assassin approached our location with only one thing on its mind, to penetrate and eliminate. Afterwards the enemy fired their machine guns mercilessly, attacking those already unable to breathe never mind dodge a bullet. I was shot in the midst of all this mayhem. Lodged in my back, a few inches to the right of my spine and was a present from the enemy. A bullet was discharged and shot, a blast leaving a huge gash, sending a severely painful tingling sensation down my body (from my arms, legs and head as it gave me a frightfully, appalling headache).

Vultures – man eating beasts; animals – glaring down upon me as if I’m their next feast. Breathing heavily, not trying to scream or yelp. Suddenly a dot became a smudge and a smudge became a disfigured figure of men in the distance beyond the green mist. Hostiles! The enemy swept the ground high and low poking and prodding our brave patriots. Shaken by the incident that just occurred. I tried with all my might to move. Nothing, nothing seemed to move from the legs down. I could feel the touch of my rugged, dirty hands rubbing against them, with the slightest touch. Repeatedly demanding my body to move without any luck. More or less it made me worse for wears. Straining my muscles, tendons again and again. Until in the mist, the enemy could clearly be identified. Camouflaged by the long tall grass, I lay there for so long the earth sank, becoming a mould to the shape of my body. It kept me warmer before the earth began to sink. Before I was at Mother Nature’s mercy. It could have snowed, rained or if she was extremely angry there might have even been thunder or lightning. Unable to seek safety by my own means. I used the gruesome, gruelling, gritty blood of a dear soldier. Smearing it all over my face, trousers, tunic, and arms.

My new disguise made me left feeling rather deranged and sadistic at the same time. I was next in line to be subjected to an insertion of a large, spear point, as it had happened to those that were already dead. Intestines dangling mid-air as if they were about to be served on a silver platter. Quivering with tremendous fear, gasping for air, as I didn’t know if it would be my last. My breathing got deeper and deeper, fainter and fainter. I plucked myself up thinking of positive memories of home. Mum’s roast beef dinner we would eat with the family every Friday whilst telling jokes or just talking. Roast beef covered in gravy with a side of vegetables. No doubt better than the tined food the Army was giving us. Unable to venture to seek safety by my own two feet as they were; fatigued, fragile and brittle. I thrust one on top of the other until I was steady and still. Making sure my feet were secured on the ground still functioning, as they would have done previously, when I was once healthy, happy, and full of energy. Not then as I was the complete contrary; no longer fit due to being all skin and bone, less energetic, and quite depressed over the fact of losing those closest to me, right in front of my eyes.

Bleeding more vigorously than before, the soldiers blood I had previously used to persuade the enemy I was dead, was soon submerged by my very own. The enemy drew to a close, in firing aim, in lengths reach. Keeping still, immobile in that very moment, all of a sudden the adrenaline kicked in and I was no longer caring for my safety. Not in the right frame of mind, there on forwards. Stumbling, tumbling but still marching forward knowing the likelihood of the outcome. Trudging through the thickly painted red grass. But limping on towards the enemy, heart thumping, and pounding, with a slight shiver down my spine. Proud and thankful to fight for my country. Great nation! Running straight ahead not hesitating or turning back, I sprinted into the mist. The overgrown wasteland of the Holy Grail that may have been the undoing of me was also the last hope for our great nation if the war is unfortunately lost. Having faith, tossing a coin on whether or not we will win and prosper or fail terribly with great dignity yet a deep amount of sorrow, enough to last a century

Commonalities Between the Red Scare and Salem Witch Trials

When comparing the “Red Scare” in America in the 1950s to the “Salem Witch Trials “also in America at the end of the 1960s, there is obviously some commonality. There was no real scientific evidence for witchcraft or scientific proof that Communism works and both were looked on with scepticism. Those who were believed to be witches and communists were feared, as there was a lot of ignorance and it was unknown. Both of these events created hysteria, chaos, and lots of commotion by stirring up people’s fears. Luckily for us – those that are living now, in the 2000s – the Salem Witch Trials and the Red Scare both ended, it seems to have caused a lot of trouble and hysteria for the way people wanted to live their own lives with tremendous outside interference.

Differences in the Nature and Outcomes of the Red Scare and Salem Witch Trials

Although the Red Scare and the Salem Witch Trials were both horrible times in America’s history, there were some major differences. All the way through the Salem Witch Trials, catching all of the witches was impossible, unrealistic, and wouldn’t have done anything to solve the problems of the people. The main reason for this is due to the fact that there weren’t any witches because witches aren’t real. However, during the Red Scare, there really were spies in America. Although I don’t agree or support the way America tried to change their ideals (America liked the ideology of the American dream i.e. money and hated the idea of sharing it), or find what they saw as soviet subversives at least they were trying. Trying to find them was a good idea. If America had found all of the Soviet Spies, then one of America’s major problems would have been solved years ago ( In 2018 it was alleged that Russia was tapping President Trump’s phone.) Unfortunately, the utter stupidity of some of the individuals in the American government left the search for the spies to get out of control and it spread from Politics to the general population.

Historical Context and Impact of the Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials in 1692-1693 were a dark period in American history. More than two hundred people were accused of practicing witchcraft and twenty were killed. The Salem Witch Trials were a series of witchcraft cases brought before the local magistrates in a place called Salem, which was in Massachusetts. The first witch trial occurred because the daughter (Betty Parris) and the niece (Abigail Williams) of the local reverend had become violently ill. The girls were having some type of epileptic fit and would scream out, moving their bodies involuntary and throwing things across the room, as if it were in a horror film. The village doctor, William Griggs, somehow came to the conclusion and diagnosed them as being ‘bewitched’ and all of a sudden the hunt for the witch who had done this began. Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne were the first three women accused of witchcraft, they were all people who were greatly frowned upon by the local residents and seen as outcasts. One lived on the streets (Sarah Osborne), one didn’t regularly attend church (Sarah Good) and one was a black slave (Tituba). People feared that the devil sent witches and was constantly trying to infiltrate and destroy Christians and their communities.

The first Red Scare occurred immediately after World War 1 and the beginning of the Bolshevik Russian Revolution. The first Red Scare occurred during the years 1917-1920 and was sparked by terror and speculations, widespread strikes and a series of terrorist attacks. The second Red Scare refers to the dismay of communism that allowed American politics, culture and society to go down the drain from the late 1940’s through to the 1950’s, during the opening phases of the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

The Red Scare: McCarthyism and the Fear of Communism

The Red Scare is properly known as “McCarthyism” after its most famous supporter for fighting communists, Senator Joseph McCarthy. Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed that there were two hundred and five known communists working for the U.S. Department of State. Though evidence proved otherwise, his accusations stirred fear and terror in many Americans. Leading to the point where ordinary citizens were blackmailed, or prevented from gaining employment, if they were suspected of being a communist. McCarthyism spread throughout universities, labour unions and businesses because no one wanted to appear too weak or soft on communism. His tactics of spreading panic and making baseless charges became known as McCarthyism. McCarthyism is thought to have increased popularly with the fear of communist and espionage. For example it was included during the Soviet Eastern Europe, the Berlin Blockade, the Chinese Civil War and the Korean War. However despite this his fame suddenly began to plummet when his charges became more wild and aggressive attacking fellow Republicans, the U.S. Army came to view his tactics as unfair and cruel. Due to McCarthy’s remarks President Truman felt he had to take action because of pressure from the Republicans. Having created a plan to investigate all federal employees and fire those who were found to be disloyal from federal employment. A total of three million people were investigated, only two hundred were found to be disloyal. Alger Hiss was accused of being part of a 1930’s plot to place communists inside the government. Though he couldn’t be charged, later he was convicted of lying under oath. Spy cases fuled the unease of communism; Klaus Fuchs was a Manhattan Project scientist who gave atomic bomb information to the Soviets. Whereas, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were accused of leading a spy ring; they were convicted of conspiracy and executed in 1953.

The Smith Act in 1940 made it a crime to call for an overthrow of the U.S. government or belonging to an organisation that did so. Upheld by a court in 1951, Dennis versus United States. Communist officials registered with the U.S. government, establishing a broad spectrum of communist’s organizations when investigating cases; it also prevented communists and radicals from entering America.

Well, you could say that these horrendous times in these American periods ended in a strange way. The Salem Witch Trials ended when the governors’ wife was accused of being a witch. Immediately after this happened, the governor said that they had captured all of the witches, and that they should stop looking. The Red Scare was ended because of the balances and checks of the American government. Many people were complaining about how slowly the government was operating because of the lack of money. But we do need to understand how important those checks and balances were to ending one of the worst periods in U.S. history.

Conclusion: Reflecting on the Historical Significance of Both Events

In conclusion, the Red Scare and the Salem witch Trials were total opposites. They were both in different time periods, one in the 1950’s and the other in the 1940s. Contrasting how news of these events spread to the everyday individual, the Red Scare was spread throughout the media e.g. television and the Salem Witch Trials were spread by hearsay and spitefulness, meaning that many panicked and accused individuals had their civil rights being tested and ultimately were found to be meaningless/insignificant people. Both events had casualties some just and others were just plain wrong. However, The Salem Witch Trials was more religious, whereas the Red Scare was predominantly political. Despite the few similarities that link them together the Red Scare and the Salem Witch Trials couldn’t be more different.

Works Cited

1. http://oxfordre.com/americanhistory/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.001.0001/acrefore-9780199329175-e-6
2. https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/red-scare
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_McCarthy
4. https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/salem-witch-trials
5. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2018/10/25/trumps-phone-calls-bugged-russia-china-us-intelligence-claims/
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Scare
7. https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/joseph-mccarthy
8. http://www.answers.com/Q/How_did_the_Red_Scare_end_detailed

Radicalism is defined as the belief or act of change in political and social reform in the forms of anarchy, socialism, and communism. Now communism is defined as a system of government in which the state plans to control the economy and the economic system is characterized by the collective ownership of property and the organization of labor for the common advantage. In World War I, The Red Scare period, and the 1920s the US faced different effects in the 3 different periods due to the fear of radicalism and communism. The 2 biggest reasons why the United States joined WWI were the Zimmerman telegram and the fall of the Russian czar. In the Zimmerman telegram, it states that if Mexico joined with Germany in WWI, Germany will repay Mexico with the land of Arizona and New Mexico. However, the United States intercepted the telegram and used it as to the reason to join the war. And the other reason was the fall of the Russian czar.

At the time Russia was under the control of a leader that harshly ruled the nation. But when the Czar was overthrown and Russia joined back in the war, it gave us a good reason to join. We would join the war with all the other Democracies to fight back communism and radicalism, so we did. During the war, we began to fear that there were foreign agents in our country trying to change our country from within. To combat this there were many government agencies and organizations that were formed. For example, The American Protective League enlisted 250,000 citizens to search and find opponents of the war inside the United States. This group used break-ins, unlawful searches of property, and even opened the mail to come up with evidence of these spies in the US. Another example is 2 acts that were passed by the government, the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act. These acts made it illegal to be a spy for another country and illegal to be apart of any anti-war activities. Shortly after the war, there is a time; which was after the Bolshevik Revolution, with the fall of democracy and the rise of communism in Russia, where there was an increase of fear that outside sources of communism and radicalism began to enter the US and started to change American ways. This period is called The First Red Scare. This scare would begin to spread across the whole US from 1919 to the 1920s. During this time there were many labor strikes where workers demanded change to fix some of the problems they faced, however, people believed that these strikes were influenced by radicals and communists. It got to a point that people were receiving homemade explosives.

In June 1919, several bombs were detonated at the same time; which concerned many Americans that there is a force that could overthrow the United States government. At that point, U.S. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer believed that the labor strikes and the bombing are apart of a larger more organized conspiracy. At that point, U.S.A.G. Palmer created an anti-radical group called the FBI. The FBI targeted 250 immigrants that were deported and made over 6000 arrests that were affiliated with radicalism. Now the Red Scare ended in the early 1920s, however, some laws were passed because people believed that the immigrants remained loyal to their original country home country. As a result of this belief, 2 federal act was passed. The first was the Immigration Act of 1921. This act reduced the percentage of certain immigrants coming into this country that came from countries that were deemed radical. The next act soon followed the first one; this act was the Immigration Act of 1924. This act reduced the percentage from the first immigration act dropped down to 2%. This pretty much ended immigration from European countries. Now another group that started to gain popularity to fight back the radicals was the renewed KKK. But shortly after a while, they lost their credibility with Americans because they only believe in a straight white America. So overall Americans fought the radicals by passing the espionage act, sedition act, and creating the American Protective League during World War I. Created the Federal Bureau of Investigation to combat the radicals during the red scare. And finally, during the 1920s, they passed the immigration act of 1921 and 1924 to reduce and stop the flow of immigrants coming to the country to stop the spread of radicalism and communism.

“The Cold War isn’t thawing; it is burning with a deadly heat. Communism isn’t sleeping; it is, as always, plotting, scheming, working, fighting.” These profound words came from President Richard Nixon, who along with many others adamantly condemned communism and its values. This quote helps portray the imminent threat that communism had on society and politics throughout the Cold War era. The Cold War had a wide range of effects on the United States, these effects changed aspects of U.S society and politics back then, and still have implications on the U.S today. The United States currently finds itself in a situation that could potentially lead to increased tensions and another Cold War with Russia. With the recent departure from the historic INF Treaty, it would seem that previous progress on arms control has been lost. Withdrawal from the treaty that put an end to the Cold War has the potential to not only lead to another arms race but also once again reshape American society and politics. In order to understand the effects of this recent development, it is vital to analyze society and politics throughout the Cold War and take into consideration how these aspects changed as tensions between US and Russia increased.

The Cold War was a volatile rivalry that emerged between the Soviet Union and the United States, post-World War II. However, this was an unconventional war, in that war was waged through politics, propaganda, and economics. The U.S looked to promote their way of life and democratic values throughout the world, specifically in Western Europe. Post-World War II, “U.S. leaders believed that the United States should maintain its monopoly of atomic weapons in order to deter, and if necessary punish, potential aggressors. US security policies were designed not only to protect the physical security of the United States and its allies but to preserve a broadly defined “American way of life” by constructing an international order that would be open to and compatible with US interests and ideals.” In reality, Americans were uneasy about Soviet communism and the principles it represented. Americans along with the British feared that communism was going to become permanent in Eastern Europe and had the potential to spread to Western Europe as well, toppling the already established democracies. This continuous terror motivated the U.S to create a plan of action, which was called the Marshall Plan. The Marshall plan was a U.S program designed to help stimulate the economies of European countries in order to create sustainable conditions in which democratic institutions could survive. It was evident that “The United States feared that poverty, unemployment, and dislocation of the post-World War II period were reinforcing the appeal of communist parties to voters in Western Europe.” The fear stemmed from the U.S believing that people in these struggling countries would blame the democratic institutions for their poverty and unemployment. The fear that these hardships would make individuals desperate enough to topple their country’s institutions. The Marshall plan looked to fix this through providing the necessary economic assistance to help rebuild countries. On the other hand, the Soviets looked to maintain their control over eastern Europe and spread communism. These openly communist regimes served as a political bloc and cushion from western ideology and influence. The Marshall Plan not only undermined the Soviet’s scheme, but it posed a great threat to communism. It is from this pivotal difference that the Cold War is fueled, a difference so large that it changed both United States and Soviet Union’s politics and society.

George F. Kennan was one of very few from the west that had experience with communism, he states, “World communism is like malignant parasite which feeds only on diseased tissue.” This is in reference to the importance of resolving internal problems in your country first, before directing your focus to battling communism. The internal problems in countries is what feed communism, individuals fantasize about how they can change their situation and settle on communism as the answer. Kennan cautions that countries must first focus on domestic policies before turning their attention to foreign policies and fighting communism. These ideas developed and spread to the creation of the political policy referred to as containment. The Containment policy, which many politicians advocated for, was pursued by the U.S in the late 1940s as a method to check the Soviet’s expansion policy. As the Soviets moved to increase their communist influence throughout Europe, the U.S made the first major push to end communism. Many believed that unified resistance would end it, “[Soviet power, unlike that of Hitlerite Germany, is neither schematic nor adventunstic. It does not work by fixed plans. Impervious to logic of reason, and it is highly sensitive to logic of force. For this reason it can easily withdraw–and usually does when strong resistance is encountered at any point].” A strong maintained resistance was the best way to end the spread of communism. However, it was not enough, President Truman also requested that Congress appropriate millions in aid to countries fighting communism in order to ensure internal problems were subdued. Countries that publically condemned communism and sought aid were supported heavily. This process was the Truman Doctrine and was a vital portion of containment. During this time, many feared that if one democratic country fell to communism others would follow suite. This effect referred to as the domino theory, presented itself as one of the most dangerous nightmares that could occur. Politicians feared the spread of communism, much like in the past would produce totalitarian countries in which millions of people would die. This same attitude can be seen today in politics and stems from the Cold War era. Today communism can be broken into two different phases. The first phases was the triumph of communism, as we saw communism spread, and become prevalent in a country which was the largest area in the world (Russia); as well as in a country with the largest population in world (China). The spread and applications of communism lead to many different problems in terms of economics and humanitarian injustices, justifying the fears many have today when it comes to communism. The second phase, characterized as a period of stagnation, in which the spread of communism has more or less stopped. Although it has stopped, there is still an overarching fear many have when it comes to communism. Currently, the second phase is still in progress. The Communist expansion has come to a halt however most of the underlying attitudes towards it are still present; such as the feeling that it would encroach on American values and our way of life. Communism is the most legitimate and real threat to democracies around the world, because it conflicts with quintessential American principles like, manifest destiny, competition, privatization, and consumerism. These American characteristics have not changed much over the last century; therefore, the attitudes towards communism are the same and it will continue to be a threat.

Not only was imminent threat of Communism a large problem for the U.S but on top of this during the Cold War the Soviet Union successfully tested intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). They boasted that these missiles were capable of being launched into any part of the world. This revelation was a major concern for the U.S and was the start of an intense and ongoing arms race. Both of these nations had been developing this technology for years; scientists worked hard and tirelessly to perfect the range, accuracy and capability of these missiles. Eventually both nations would find themselves in an arms race that would create a security dilemma that is still present today. With this new technology fear of communist expansion increased. The INF treaty emerged as the first significant treaty that banned the creation and stock piling of this weapon. The Arms Control Association states that “the INF Treaty successfully eliminated an entire class of destabilizing nuclear weapons that were deployed in Europe and helped bring an end to the spiraling Cold War arms race.” However, the treaty that was approved in May of 1988 was suspend by the U.S on 1 February 2019. The INF treaty has acted as a pillar of European security but president Trump suspended it because of Russia’s noncompliance. The Trump administration came to this conclusion through, “Citing years of Russian violations and China’s freedom from INF Treaty constraints.” This treaty overtime worked against the U.S in multiple ways. Although Russia agreed to the treaty, they continued to advance this technology, as an attempt to even out the international stage. This treaty gave them an advantage over the U.S and closed the gap to superiority. In addition, this treaty did not include China who has continued to develop their systems and level the playing ground. Currently, both Russia and the U.S are free to develop this technology free of the consequences due to breaking the treaty. As the U.S once again begins to fund, explore and develop their ICMBs with the goal of countering China and Russia, we could find ourselves in the middle of another Cold War. The American decision to abandon the 32-year-old treaty has put a strain on Arms control and has created a state of strategic instability. With no limit of on each of these countries arsenal, it seems inevitable that an arms race will ensue. Just like during the Cold War the threat of ICBMs gives Russia substantial influence in Europe. The U.S eventually will match Russia’s aggression and begin stockpiling these missiles in order to balance power and deter Russia.

The analysis of U.S society during the Cold War period assists in understanding the tensions between Russia and U.S today. As the Cold War intensified hysteria over the threat posed by communism exponentially increased. This period of fearfulness and witch-hunts is referred to as the Red Scare. During this time the term McCarthyism was created, “In February 1950, McCarthy, a Republican senator from Wisconsin, launched a massive campaign against alleged Communists and Soviet agents working for, and perhaps spying on, the U.S. government. In Senate hearings stretching across much of the first half of the 1950s, he accused numerous U.S. government employees, including many in the State Department, of being Communists or even agents of Soviet Intelligence.” In the early stages of McCarthy’s witch-hunt some politicians stood up to him. In particular, four-term incumbent Senator Millard E Tydings and Senate Majority Leader Scott W. Lucas. McCarthy had a campaign against the two, and both of them lost. This was interpreted as a sign of public support for McCarthyism, and forced many who disagreed into silence. The lack of opposition gave senator McCarthy the foothold in politics he needed in order to continue spreading his anticommunist agenda. Overtime senator McCarthy worked to gain the support of the media and ultimately was feared by his peers. This enabled him to make baseless claims about elite individuals throughout society and face zero repercussions. McCarthy used intimidation and hearsay to bully himself into power and establish himself as a prominent individual in politics. His actions helped fuel the publics concerns about communism and played a key role in the anticommunist movement. In order to win senator McCarthy’s approval, government officials from many different parties portrayed themselves as staunch anticommunists. Those identified as communist were blacklisted by different industries, harassed by law enforcement, and isolated. Fear surrounding communism was amplified due to the negative consequences associated with it. Opinions on the matter no longer relied on personal values or facts, because it became simpler for individuals to conform to societal norms. Subsequently fear of these harsh consequences was interpreted by many not affected, as fear of communism. Due to the red scare, the Soviet Union became a target of propaganda and government officials. The Soviets were held responsible for this pseudo threat on the American way of life and negative perceptions on communism were fortified.

As a result, it is clear that today’s society has been tremendously affected by McCarthyism. The fear that prominent figures in society are loyal to Russia is still an issue that is heavily disputed. When it became clear that Russia tampered with the 2016 elections there was a series of “with-hunts”. President Trump and his administration were at the center of these developments and under heavy scrutiny. While their involvement may be entirely true, it is more important to analyze the reaction these developments incited. Plenty of speculation made its way around about the ties between Trumps administration and Russian officials, and Russian infiltration of the U.S elections. President nominee Hillary Clinton even went as far as to call Trump a puppet of the Russian president. She used this as an insult and tactic because the sentiment towards Russia today is just as strong as it was during the Cold War. And it all stems from the pre-stablished fear of Russia and communism that grew during the red scare, the slightest implications of Russia involvement in the election has caused fury. Much like the Cold War a vigorous anticommunist (authoritarian capitalism) attitude has emerged. Many investigations and trials ensued; while these investigations may have uncovered the truth, the motivation behind them is identical to that of the red scare. Which is to find those that support Russia, and root them out of society in order to protect the American common wealth and values. Once again, Russia has emerged as an immediate threat to the U.S. The threat of communism still lingers and continues to grow potentially to the point of creating a third phase. This recently strengthened fear helps explain the suspension of the INF treaty. Increased threats have made it impossible for the U.S to continue ignoring Russia’s non-compliance of the treaty. Russia is actively trying to topple the international spectrum and surge passed the U.S. In response, Trump suspended the treaty in order to balance power. His actions confirm the threat that Russia has on the U.S and make it clear that we may well be on the verge of another Cold War.

The Cold War was a long period of intense geopolitical tension. Its current impact on the U.S today is often times forgotten or overlooked. However, Cold War history is relevant in order to understand the U.S today. Through the analysis of Cold War politics and society, it is clear that a fear of communism was created. A fear that has been carried into the 21st century, and has acted as the fuel to Russia and U.S tension and the suspension of the INF treaty. The policy of containment, and the red scare emergence are both effects of the Cold War that have changed outlook on Russia and communism. They have painted both in a negative light and have generated fear until this day. This panic is what has brought the U.S and Russia on the verge of another Cold War. The attitude and feelings surrounding Russia are embedded into politics and society but have been suppressed because they lacked an imminent threat. However, it is clear that this threat has reemerged, which explains why the U.S has chosen to suspend the historic INF treaty. They have suspended it in order to combat Russia’s aggression, develop advanced ICBM technology and stockpile missiles. It is believed that the production of these once banned missiles will allow the U.S to deter Russia and stop them from advancing their agenda. The U.S response today is identical to that of the Cold War; which ultimately could lead to another arms race. The progression of recent developments such as, Russia tampering in the 2016 elections, cooperation between the Trump administration and Moscow Kremlin, and the suspension of the INF Treaty have significantly increased the perceived threat of communism. Which ultimately may be just enough to justify another Cold War.

Annotated Bibliography

1. Bernstein, Andrew. ‘The Vindication of Joseph McCarthy.’ The Objective Standard 11, no. 4 (2016): 33.
2. This article provides an accurate account of the Red Scare and the actions of Senator Joseph McCarthy during this period.
3. Fitzsimmons, Michael. ‘Russian Strategy and the End of the INF Treaty.’ Survival 60, no. 6 (2018): 119-136.
4. The article provides an explanation for the suspension of the INF Treaty.
5. Jensen, Kenneth M. 1944. Origins of the Cold War: The Novikov, Kennan, and Roberts ‘Long Telegrams’ of 1946. Washington, D.C: United States Institute of Peace, 1991.
6. The book outlines the approach the U.S believed they needed to take in order to defeat the spread of communism during the cold war.
7. Kampmark, Binoy. . Ditching Nuclear Treaties: Trump Withdraws from the INF. Santa Rosa: Newstex, 2018, https://search.proquest.com/docview/2252974210?accountid=14748 (accessed December 3, 2019).
8. Gives context to the INF Treaty and provides a precise account by the Arms Control Association of what the treaty is for.
9. Painter, David S. The Cold War: An International History. Taylor & Francis e-Library ed. London;New York;: Routledge, 2002.
10. This book details the history of the Cold War, and gives perspective on the political state in the U.S at this time.
11. Slobin, Sarah. “A NATION CHALLENGED: HEARTS AND MINDS.” The New York Times. The New York Times, November 11, 2001. https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/11/us/a-nation-challenged-hearts-and-minds.html.
12. Newspaper Article that discusses how the government has potrayed war and controlled information.
13. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Marshall Plan.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., April 26, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/event/Marshall-Plan.
14. Article discusses the reasoning behind the Marshall Plan and how it helped to limit the expansion of communism and its principles.
15. Vithal, B. P. R. ‘Where Does Communism Stand Today?’ Economic and Political Weekly 20, no. 15 (1985): 636-39. www.jstor.org/stable/4374275.
16. This Article Provides history about the Cold War and the different phases communism has gone through.