American National Security Anxieties During The Cold War

After decades of political turmoil during World War II and the subsequent rise of the Cold War, American national security anxieties began to turn inward in the early 1950s. The clash between the United States, an international defender of democracy and capitalism, and the Soviet Union, a rival superpower working tirelessly to prevent the expansion of capitalism into its communist stronghold, was more than just an ideological competition – rather, the two powers were battling to rid the world of the corrupt, inhumane evil that they perceived their opponent to be. This conflict, the Cold War, was accentuated by fears of another violent worldwide struggle following half a century of devastating wars. Thus, anxieties seeped into every aspect of
American life. With fears of communist expansion pervasive, any steps forward by the Soviet Union immediately translated to anxieties of Soviet infiltration in the United States. In response to these anxieties, American Presidents throughout the first half of the 20th Century enacted various loyalty programs to root out disloyalties in the government. However, some Republicans in the United States government, particularly Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy, believed that these limited investigations by the Democratic government weren’t doing enough to end the allegedly undeniable Communist influence. In an atmosphere of intense anxiety and tension, McCarthy was able to garner extensive press attention and an avid following by “exposing” what he claimed to be a ring of communist spies working unnoticed in the American government. Senator McCarthy capitalized on the fears of Communist expansion abroad and Communist infiltration at home to delegitimize Democratic leaders, and take power back for the Republican Party.