Activities of FBI in Late 1940s and Emergence of McCarthyism in United States

This article examines the shifts in the policy of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States in relation to the onset of the Cold War. It highlights that President Truman, unlike his predecessor Franklin Roosevelt, had a markedly different perspective on the Bureau's operations, emphasizing the necessity of compelling this agency to adhere strictly to laws and other legal norms. The analysis reveals that in the context of confrontation with the White House, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover sought collaboration with ultra-conservative factions from both political parties. It is shown that Hoover initiated a campaign against communist influence in the United States, with the underlying aim of circumventing national leadership to further the objectives of the FBI. Notably, in 1950, a leader emerged among Hoover's supporters—Senator Joseph McCarthy. The rapidly coalescing "McCarthyite" movement gained influence and, in alliance with the Bureau, fostered an atmosphere of suspicion in America to hold accountable those individuals and organizations deemed by federal agents to be linked to Soviet intelligence or "disloyal." This article analyzes the complexities in the relationship between the FBI and the White House, characterizes the beginning of the Bureau's collaboration with radical conservatives in Congress, and traces the origins of McCarthyism. It also explores the evolution of public campaigns against communism, examines the associated repressions, and assesses the impact of the "loss" of China on this campaign and the president's stance.

Harry Truman, J. Edgar Hoover, Joseph McCarthy, McCarthyism, Cold War, Chinese Civil War, political radicalism