#116 – Red Scare Part 2

#116 – Red Scare Part 2

Author: Cameron Reilly & Ray Harris April 26, 2019 Duration: 0:00
In April 1919, US authorities discovered a plot for mailing 36 bombs to prominent members of the U.S. political and economic establishment. One of those was Attorney General Alexander Mitchell Palmer. He decided it was the work of Russian Communists, so he ordered the U.S. Justice Department to launch The Palmer Raids. And do you know who was in charge of the Palmer Raids? A 24-year-old American patriot – J. Edgar Hoover. Within three months after taking office, he controlled files on more than sixty thousand people. Hoover began to prepare for an American counterrevolution. Unfortunately, the Russian Communists had nothing to do with the 1919 bombings. It was the work of Italian anarchists. But that didn’t stop Hoover from turning the Communists into Public Enemy Number One. Even though he would himself say, years later, that the Communist Party’s influence on American life in the 1920s was “virtually nonexistent”. And even though the new Attorney General in 1924 instructed Hoover that the Bureau should not concern itself with the “political or other opinions of individuals”. JEH didn’t let that stop him.

 

HOW TO LISTEN

If you’re already a subscriber, you can listen to the full show in the player below or subscribe through iTunes or any podcast player.

If you haven’t heard any of the series and want to know if you’ll like it before you sign up, you can listen to the first six episodes totally free. You might want to start with Episode 1, unless of course you’re an old school George Lucas fan, in which case feel free to start at Episode IV. We don’t recommend it though.

 

If you haven’t already, join our Facebook page and you’ll be in the running to win prizes in our regular “Share The Love” and other competitions.

If you’d like a chance to win a prize, write a funny or insightful review on iTunes.


Dive deep into the decades-long geopolitical standoff that shaped our modern world with Cam & Ray's Cold War Podcast. Hosts Cameron Reilly and Ray Harris unpack this complex period not with dry academic detachment, but with a lively, conversational approach that’s both deeply researched and genuinely entertaining. Their long-form discussions delve into the pivotal events, secret operations, and towering personalities behind the Iron Curtain and beyond, offering a detailed narrative you won’t find in standard textbooks. What you’ll hear is an engaging blend of sharp analysis and humor, often venturing into NSFW territory as they explore the absurdities and intense realities of the era. This history podcast feels more like a compelling conversation between two knowledgeable friends, making the intricate strategies of deterrence and the shadowy world of espionage accessible and surprisingly funny. Each episode builds a comprehensive picture, from the origins of the tension to its final thaw, ensuring listeners come away with a richer understanding of how this global conflict continues to echo today. Settle in for a thorough and offbeat exploration that proves learning about nuclear brinkmanship and proxy wars can be as engaging as it is enlightening.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Cam & Ray's Cold War Podcast
Podcast Episodes
#117 – Red Scare Part 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
As Red Fever grew in the United States in the 1930s, Herbert Hoover asked J. Edgar Hoover to help him blame the Bonus March of 1932 on the Communists. In August 1936, FDR invited JEH to the White House to discuss “subver…
#115 – Red Scare Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloyalty and subversive activities on the part of private citizens, public employees, and those organizations suspected of ha…
#114 Operation Lea [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Finally, on Oct 7, 1947, the French made their offensive into the Viet Bac region: Operation Léa – aka Princess Leia. So-called because it was a smart, feisty, brave diplomat and warrior of a plan. But because he had les…
#113 Toxic Nuts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Ho wonders aloud to a journalist why the Vietnamese were not being given the same opportunity as the Philippines, who had just been given their independence from the US, or India, which had just won its independence from…
#112 Keyser HO-ze [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Ho and his team disappear into the jungle north of Hanoi. The French think they have won. George Marshall dithers. HOW TO LISTEN If you’re already a subscriber, you can listen to the full show in the player below or subs…
#111 – The War Begins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
After the Haiphong incident, Ho started preparing Hanoi for an attack. First, he made a public speech appealing to the French to withdraw their troops. They ignored him. “If those gooks want a fight, they’ll get it,” dec…
#110 – Domino Theory [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Vietnam. 1947. The U.S. Consul in Saigon, Charles Reed, is the first American official to use the term “domino theory”. He’s talking about what will happen in Cambodia and Laos if Cochin China falls to the VietMinh, who…
#109 – The Haiphong Incident [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Vietnam. Late 1946. The gears of war are turning. One President commits suicide. Another continues to fight for a peaceful settlement. A new government is formed. Then the French army in Indochina decides to take matters…
#107 – The First Indochina War (Part IV) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Ho Chi Minh agrees to go to Paris for a second round of talks with the French about the independence of Vietnam. But just before he is due to leave, the French High Commissioner in Vietnam screws him over. And then, the…
#106 – Andrew Roberts, Churchill [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Andrew Roberts has a huge new biography out on England’s favourite son, Winston Churchill, and he was nice enough to come on the show to answer a few of our questions about the man. You may remember Andrew talked to Came…