The Red Scare after World War I was a national widespread fear of communists after the Russian Revolutionary, enhanced by the patriotism following World War I. The Red Scare was provoked by growing fear and worry that the Bolshevik revolution in America was pending. It was a widespread misgiving of revolutionary political movements which were echoed in opposing labor union sentiments. The fears increased after a sequence of bombings by anarchists in 1919. The labor unions were viewed to be politically influenced. It was believed that the revolution would transform the church, home, marriage, courteousness, and the American manner of Life.
The newspapers highlighted the political anxiety widening it. The revolution got popular as the advocates for the it were then the recent European immigrants. It was also seen as the way forward to solving the poverty issue. There was a key strike, the Seattle shipyard strike of 1919, after the war ended, which saw 60,000 workers strike. Although there were no any reports of violence the strike was associated with the Reds or communists. There were claims made that they were trying to incite revolution and consequently hysteria was went on in the city.
The red scare was heightened by the patriotism subsequent to World War I. During World War I there was an ardent patriotism in U.S. encouraged by George Creel. He was a propagandist being the chairperson of the U.S. committee on public information. The American soldiers fought the Huns- a German in military context during the First World War. At home, majority of the American citizens fought them too and anyone who did not participate was victimized. It was out of this particular patriotism that the Red Scare took hold.
Works Cited
Feuerlicht, Roberta S. America's Reign of Terror: World War I, the Red Scare, and the Palmer Raids. New York: Random House, 2003. Print.
Murray, Robert K. Red Scare: A Study in National Hysteria, 1919-1920. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2005. Print.
