THE RED SCARETHE RED SCARE14.114.1

Russian RevolutionRussian Revolution• Part 1 = March 1917Part 1 = March 1917

– WWI goes badly for Russia– Czar Nicholas II abdicates

• New Russian leader =New Russian leader =Alex KerenskyAlex Kerensky– Pledges to remain in WWI– This is very unpopular.– Russians start looking to more

radical ideas.

Russian RevolutionRussian Revolution• Part 2 = November 1917Part 2 = November 1917

– Lenin promises “peace, land, and bread”

– Bolsheviks (“majority”)

• Peace with GermanyPeace with Germany– Out of WWI

• Civil war ensuesCivil war ensues– Reds vs. Whites– Reds win in 1920, establish

USSR

Russian CommunismRussian Communism• Openly hostile to American beliefsOpenly hostile to American beliefs

– The gov’t owned all land and property.– A single political party controlled the gov’t.– The needs of the country always took priority over the

rights of individuals.

• ““Communism cannot be isolated or it will fail. Communism cannot be isolated or it will fail. IT MUST EXPAND WORLDWIDE.” IT MUST EXPAND WORLDWIDE.”

Russian CommunismRussian Communism• Lenin dies in 1924. Lenin dies in 1924.

Stalin takes over.Stalin takes over.– Forces peasants onto

collectivized farms– Use of terror to do so– Great famine resulted.– Estimates of

3-60 million killed

Russian CommunismRussian Communism

• Is this fear justified?Is this fear justified?– It seems to be isolated

on the other side of the world.

Communist spread?Communist spread?• Is fear of communism justified?Is fear of communism justified?

– Hungary goes communist– Germany almost goes communist

US ResponseUS Response• During WWI, bombs sent to court buildings, During WWI, bombs sent to court buildings,

police stations, churches, homespolice stations, churches, homes– Tied to violent immigrant anarchist groupsTied to violent immigrant anarchist groups– BOI (FBI) begins to track their movementsBOI (FBI) begins to track their movements

• Approved by President Woodrow Wilson

• In 1919:In 1919:– 1,000s go on strike in Seattle1,000s go on strike in Seattle– More mail bombs sent to US gov’t officialsMore mail bombs sent to US gov’t officials

• Including Seattle mayor

– Espionage Act passed (draft, etc.)Espionage Act passed (draft, etc.)

Schenck v. U.S.Schenck v. U.S.• Charles Schenck mailed anti-draft letters.Charles Schenck mailed anti-draft letters.

– Jewish-American socialistJewish-American socialistw/ sympathies towardw/ sympathies towardGermanyGermany

– Secretary of local SocialistSecretary of local SocialistPartyParty

– Sent 15,000 leaflets urgingSent 15,000 leaflets urgingpotential draftees to refusepotential draftees to refuseto serveto serve

• Calls on the 13th Amendment

• Serving in military =“involuntary servitude”

Schenck v. U.S.Schenck v. U.S.• Arrested & convicted under Arrested & convicted under

Espionage Act Espionage Act 6 months– “The question in every case is

whether the words are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent.”

– “The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic.”

• Unanimously upheld by Unanimously upheld by Supreme CourtSupreme Court

More BombsMore Bombs• June 1919, bombs June 1919, bombs

detonate in 8 citiesdetonate in 8 cities– 1 near FDR– 1 at USAG Alexander

Palmer’s house

• Seen as “continuation” Seen as “continuation” of Russian Revolutionof Russian Revolution

More BombsMore Bombs• These bombs were sent by These bombs were sent by

1 specific group, led by 1 specific group, led by Luigi GalleaniLuigi Galleani..

• Bombs came w/ a note:Bombs came w/ a note:– “Class war…

You were the first to wage it…The darkness of your laws…There will have to be bloodshed, murder…We will destroy to rid the world of your tyrannical institutions.”

Palmer RaidsPalmer Raids• Alexander PalmerAlexander Palmer

– Assassination attempts made 2x

• “hyphenated Americans… poured the poison of disloyalty into the very arteries of our national life: such creatures of passion, disloyalty, and anarchy must be crushed out”

-Woodrow Wilson

Palmer RaidsPalmer Raids• Palmer begins to raid houses of suspected Palmer begins to raid houses of suspected

communists, socialists, and anarchists.communists, socialists, and anarchists.– “Any movement, however cloaked or dissembled, designed to

undermine the government, will be met with unflinching, persistent, aggressive warfare.”

• Palmer arrests 10,000 from Nov. 1919 to Jan. 1920Palmer arrests 10,000 from Nov. 1919 to Jan. 1920– Luigi Galleani was deported along w/ 8 others.– Dec. 1919: 249 Russian radicals deported on “Soviet Ark”– Jan. 1920: 6,000 arrested (mostly IWW)

• 4,000 in one night

Public Opinion FallsPublic Opinion Falls• Palmer announces a Palmer announces a

Communist revolution on Communist revolution on May 1, 1920.May 1, 1920.– The public gears up.

• Nothing happened.Nothing happened.– People realize the lack of

threat.– People realize the disregard for

civil liberties.– People realize they don’t like

Palmer.

Exported ImmigrantsExported Immigrants• Many of the deported Many of the deported

radicals became loyal radicals became loyal citizens of the USSR…citizens of the USSR…

• ……until Stalin had most until Stalin had most of them shot in the of them shot in the 1930s as potential 1930s as potential traitors.traitors.

Sacco & VanzettiSacco & Vanzetti• Accused of robbery & murder Accused of robbery & murder ARRESTEDARRESTED

(~$16,000 from shoe factory)(~$16,000 from shoe factory)– Italian anarchists had

already been red-flaggedfor the better part of adecade.

– They were radicals andItalian.

– They were followers ofLuigi Galleani.

Sacco & VanzettiSacco & Vanzetti• Convicted & executed.Convicted & executed.• Riots of protest in London, Paris, and Germany.Riots of protest in London, Paris, and Germany.• Seen as result ofSeen as result of

the the Red ScareRed Scare..

Feeding the FearFeeding the Fear• Labor strikes rose fromLabor strikes rose from

175175//monthmonth to to 370370//monthmonth

during 1919.during 1919.– Cause: Communist agitators?

(probably not)– Cause: poor labor conditions

(initial post-war recession)

• Standard of living had declined Standard of living had declined since WWI because of inflation since WWI because of inflation and static wages.and static wages.

Boston Police StrikeBoston Police Strike• No pay increase since beginning of WWINo pay increase since beginning of WWI

– Steps to form a union; 19 fired– Entire police force strikes– Riots broke out.

• Massachusetts governorMassachusetts governorCalvin Coolidge:Calvin Coolidge:– “There is no right to strike

against the public safety byanybody, anywhere, anytime.”

– Called out volunteer forceand state guard

““Crime against civilization”Crime against civilization”• End of the strikeEnd of the strike

– Coolidge hires an entirely new police force(mostly returning servicemen)

– New force gets higher wages, more vacation days, and city-provided uniforms

– Striking former-officers were denied reentry

StrikesStrikes• Steel and Coal workers strike also.Steel and Coal workers strike also.

– Most strikes are blamed on communists.– Most Americans opposed unions & strikes

(seen as anti-America & violent)

• Strikes declined asStrikes declined asthe economythe economyimproves in 1920.improves in 1920.