So in order to recap how we got to what became known as the "McCarthy era", we need to take a look at recent events.

Many events occurred before Senator Joseph McCarthy's rise to national fame.

There was first the breakdown of the wartime alliance with the Soviet Union, and President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order in 1947 to screen federal employees for possible association with organizations deemed "totalitarian, fascist, communist, or subversive", or potentially advocating "to alter the form of Government of the United States by unconstitutional means."

Then, you had Czechoslovak coup by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia which heightened concern in the West about Communist parties seizing power and the possibility of subversion.

In 1949, a high-level State Department official was convicted of perjury in a case of espionage, and the Soviet Union tested a nuclear bomb.

The Korean War started the next year, significantly raising tensions and fears of impending communist upheavals in the United States.

In a speech in February 1950, McCarthy claimed to have a list of members of the Communist Party USA working in the State Department, which attracted substantial press attention, and the term McCarthyism was published for the first time in late March of that year in The Christian Science Monitor, along with a political cartoon by Herblock in The Washington Post.

So there is the quick intro, and Jeananne will pick up all of the details of McCarthyism and the Second Red Scare.

there is always more to learn!

Jimmy & Jean

Welcome to episode number 102. This one is on the Korean War.

Jean and I discuss the events leading up to the war. The Korean War is a byproduct of post WWII events and how land was divided up after the war.

We dig into the 38th parallel, communist influences vs US influence, and the beginnings of war yet again.

We delve into what becomes the first of many proxy wars between the US and Russia, as well as the conclusion of the war, which believe it or not, is still not technically over.

Take a listen, and let us know what you think.

There is always more to learn!

-Jimmy & Jean

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) serves as a fundamental institution in shaping international relations, particularly between NATO and the West. Established in the aftermath of World War II, NATO was formed to ensure collective defense and maintain peace among its member states. Its creation responded to the urgent need for a stable and secure geopolitical environment in a world recovering from the devastation of war.

Its member countries agreed to mutual defense commitments, meaning an attack against one would be considered an attack against all. This principle aimed to deter aggression and promote a united front against any adversary. As the alliance grew, NATO adapted its objectives to address new global challenges beyond traditional military threats, such as terrorism and cyber warfare.

Take a listen to what Jimmy and Jean have to say about the formation and evolution of NATO.

There is always more to learn!

-Jimmy & Jean