Communism and the Cold War Period, Essay Example

Following the Second World War, the United States and Soviet Union had a great deal of tension between them. With the latter expanding into Europe, anti-communism fears developed in the United States. Known as the Second Red Scare, fears relating to the power of the Soviet Union, the economic ideals found in communism, and other related items contributed to the tensions.

Based in this political tension, efforts were taken to root out communism within the United States. Executive Order was signed in 1947, by President Harry S. Truman, to root out spies that were employed by the country. Character investigations were undertaken by the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) to help located and eliminate such characters. Other items, such as the interesting Verona Project, and of course the McCarran Internal Security Act of 1950, were other examples of the efforts made to take care of this problem that was growing in the United States.

As a result, the “scare” in the Second Red Scare was quite accurate. Anti-communism sentiments were confirmed in media, throughout different movies and in literature. The notion of the “Reds,” or communists, ran rampant; even the Cincinnati Reds renamed themselves the “Redlegs” to avoid such a connection. Efforts extended much long after World War II, as can be seen from policies initiated by Ronald Reagan.