The McCarthyism

1. Origins and context

1.1 Context
When McCarthyism appeared soon after WWII, it was during the Cold War era, a time (as you already know) of political, military and economic tension between the USSR and its allies and the United States and its allies.

McCarthyism became known as the political practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason to the western allies without the need for evidence.

The term is associated with the period in the history of the United States known as the Second Red Scare.

Between the late 1940s and the late 1950s, there was widespread hysteria and fear of communist influence on American institutions and of Soviet Spies.
The term was originally used to criticize the anti communist actions of the senator, but soon took on the meaning of the old English term 'witch hunts'.

1.2 Origins
February 19th, 1950, on the occasion of a conference, Senator J. McCarthy attacked communism with virulence. According to him, the communists represented a world danger but also a plague within American institutions.

He asserted that communist spies had infiltrated the Administration and had taken important posts within the government. He thus encouraged all the Americans to lead a crusade to unmask these traitors who put in danger the life of the Nation.

Contrary to all expectations, this silly speech without any foundation was going to spread through all the United States. McCarthyism was born. It was going to plunge the United States into a real fever of denunciations and libel.

1.3 Introduction to Mc McCarthy
Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican senator. He was Catholic and had Irish origins. He was considered as a bon vivant and also a player and a big drinker. But, this man also made the United States tremble during four years. He was a liar who invented all of his biography to his advantage.

McCarthy was only