A New Decade and the Cold War
At the end of World War II, Korea, like Germany, was considered a vulnerable state after the Japanese withdrew from the country. As a pro-American government formed in South Korea, communism took over in the North. Then in 1950, the Korean War broke out as Communist forces launched an attack, entering across the 38th parallel. The 38th parallel is a latitudinal line that served as the border between the two countries. Communist forces wanted to reunite the nation under their regime.
The wave of fear continued to sweep through the United States regarding communism. Senator Joseph McCarthy led the campaign to rid the American government of such threats.
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McCarthy went as far as to attack former Secretary of state George Marshall and the United States Army, citing that they all had connections to Communists. Such accusations took a toll on the country and weakened Americans’ sense of nationalism.