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Cold War: Stories from the Big Freeze

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Factual: History

Bridget Kendall presents an oral history tracing decisive moments of the Cold War.

Cold War: Stories from the Big Freeze: Series 1: Episode 7: McCarthyism

Episode 7

Episode 7: McCarthyism

Series 1

McCarthyism

BBC Radio 4 - Cold War: Stories from the Big Freeze, Series 1, McCarthyism

Bridget Kendall hears from three people whose parents were targets of the 50s Red Scare.

Bridget Kendall hears from three people whose parents were targets of the 1950s Red Scare - with tales of persecution, hearsay evidence, FBI investigation and going underground.

As part of her series tracing the crucial turning-points of the early Cold War, Bridget Kendall explores the personal impact of the McCarthyite Red Scare in the America of the 1950s.

As she finds, the Cold War fear of 'Reds' was driven not just by the spectre of Stalin's Soviet Union but by the communist revolution to America's west, across the Pacific. 

As angry voices asked 'Who Lost China?', people with strong associations with China became objects of suspicion - particularly if they were left-wing intellectuals. Investigation and long years of hearings followed.

All this had huge, lasting impact on these people - and on their children. And Bridget hears too from the daughter of a civil rights activist and communist, who went 'underground' for five years, when she was a young child, before the case against him finally fell away.

With Kathryn Jackson, David Lattimore, Sian Shaw.

Producer: Phil Tinline.

Cold War: Stories from the Big Freeze: Series 1

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Bridget Kendall presents an oral history of the early Cold War.

Bridget Kendall presents an oral history of the early Cold War. Using interviews collected by the BBC for this series, Bridget traces the crucial turning points of the early Cold War.

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Cold War: Stories from the Big Freeze

Series 1

Episode 7: McCarthyism

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