The Korean War• The Korean war is the first example

of a NSC-68 war- use of military force not to conquer but to prevent conquering

• Origins: After WWII, American troops entered S. Korea and U.S.S.R entered North Korea to accept Japanese surrender– U.S.S.R doesn’t leave- elections are

held and communism is founded– South Korea elects democracy under

Syngman Rhee

The Korean War Cont.

• The war is technically a UN action but is spearheaded by the U.S

• North Korea invades South Korea and pushes them to the SE corner of Korea

• UN goes into SE Korea and invaded behind enemy lines at Incheon

The Korean War Cont.

• UN forces cleared out S. Korea and push N. Koreans to the Chinese border– Problem: China might see it as a

threat- Chinese volunteers pour into North Korea and push UN forces back

– General in charge- General MacArthur

– His goal: defeat and conquer the enemy

– Truman’s goal- protect and secure S. Korea

The Korean War Cont.• Tension between Truman

and MacArthur– Truman didn’t think

MacArthur understood this new war and MacArthur didn’t think Truman knew how to fight

– MacArthur gets relieved of his command (fired)

• Armistice agreed to in 1953

HUAC • 1947 - House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) began an investigation into the Hollywood Motion Picture Industry

• Ten people refused to answer the committee’s questions and became known as the Hollywood Ten– Their refusal resulted in

being blacklisted from work in motion pictures or television

Alger Hiss • Alger Hiss served as FDR's adviser at the Yalta Conference in 1945

• An American Communist Party member appeared before the HUAC and claimed that Hiss had been spying for the Soviet Union while working for the State Department

• Hiss’ first trial in 1949 ended in a hung jury, but in the second trial in 1950, he was found guilty– Sentenced to five years

imprisonment

The Red Scare

• Joseph McCarthy- senator who wanted re-election– Played off societies fear of

communism– Said state department,

Hollywood and universities were infested with communists

– If anyone did criticize McCarthy they would be accused of being a pinko- communist sympathizer

Rosenbergs • 1950 - head of the physics

department of a British nuclear research facility was arrested and charged with espionage– Julius Rosenberg and Ethel

Rosenberg were named as members of his spy ring and put on trial

• The Rosenbergs were found guilty of conspiracy and sentenced to death

• Many people were shocked by the severity of the sentence – They had not been found

guilty of treason

Parisians line up at the American Embassy to sign a petition for the Rosenbergs

Rosenberg boys at Sing Sing

The Red Scare Cont.• McCarthy’s plan

backfires- accuses army of being communist sympathizers

• McCarthy is put on trial- investigated his claims and embarrassed McCarthy– Ends the Red Scare

The Red Scare Cont.

• There was a basis of fact- were communists working in the government

• VANONA project- classified project to uncover communist spies in the government– Identified and verified dozens of communist spies

Pop Culture • Television becomes popular

– Most Americans own one by the end of the decade

• Rock ‘n’ Roll is born from African American rhythm and blues– Elvis Presley becomes first rock star– Chuck Berry and Little Richard were

African American rock pioneers– Generation Gap (cultural separation

of children and parents) is created and shaped by rock ‘n’ roll

• Beat Movement formed from disaffected white youth– Jack Kerouac (On the Road) and Allen

Ginsberg (Howl) were Beat writers