House on Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC)
Richard Nixon/Hollywood Ten, member of HUAC, Nixon able to reveal Alger Hiss like about ever being a communist, 41 people interviewed and named names, some refused to answer, Bertolt Brecht gave answers and went to East Germany
Senator Joe McCarthy and McCarthyism
senator from Wiconsin, anti-communist, investigated gov't officials, convicted over 100 people
mccarthyism started during the Cold War, accusing people without any real evidence, addressed anyone to expressed communist sympathies, if you were associated with known communists, homosexuals, hollywood figures, then later turned to many higher ups in the army
tactics for conviction, severe intimidation, no solid evidence, names were released to public, he was out of line
attacking hollywood, entertainment industry blacklist, hollywood ten (first 10 members of industry refused to cooperate, free speech, 8 sentenced to 1 year for contempt), waldorf statement (firing hollywood ten), fifth amendment communists, the $64 question (have you now or ever been a member of the communist party)
was he right or wrong? split 50-50, political people saw him as wrong
many people he actually convicted did turn out to be communists, but a lot weren't, no evidence
congress censured him, told him to shut. up.
Berlin Blockade and Airlift
allied control council, Germany was split into 4 sections
Soviets differed from plans of France, GB, and US, Soviets tried to take complete control of Berlin by attempting to cut off the west Berliners from the rest of the world, blockade would cause starvation/bankruptcy if successful
occupation forces were ready to break through the blockade in retaliation which would have caused another war, no agreements had been made that everyone could use ground transportation but airways free
supplying city by air, would be difficult to supply all troops but also 2 million Berlin citizens, seemed only option with no violent reaction, three minute intervals of food drops
other countries helped out (GB, France, Canada, US, Australia)
black friday, july 28 1948, tunner flew in rained caused low visibility and a plane crashed, planes couldn't land, tunner instituted new rules
germans would rather starve and die than give into the Soviets
morale boosters, gum/candy given to runway spectators, flew in 13,000 tons flown in Easter Sunday 1949
Easter Parade last straw for Soviets, gave up and negotiated, ended May 12, 1949 but airlift continued til september
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