1. What was the purpose of the loyalty reivew boards and HUAC?

Question

A: The purpose of the loyalty review boards and HUAC was to catch Communists or spies for the Soviet Union within the United States.

2. How did the Cold War affect life in the 1950s?

A: The Cold War had a massive impact on American life in the 1950s. Fear of communism and of nuclear war dominated life for ordinary Americans as well as for government leaders throughout the era. The media often gave survival tips for the nuclear holocaust many saw just around the corner. Families built backyard fallout shelters and stocked them with canned food for protection. Schools set aside special areas as bomb shelters. In bomb drills, students learned to duck-and-cover. Cold War nightmares also appeared in films and popular fiction.

3. How did Eisenhower alter the nature of defense spending?

A: President Eisenhower altered the nature of defensive spending through the policy of massive retaliation. This policy enabled Eisenhower to cut military spending from $50 billion to $34 billion. He did this by cutting back the army, which required a lot of money to maintain.

Answer 1

On #2, you are missing the impact of McCarthyism, the HUAC, etc. Many people were blacklisted for employment, etc., because they had once investigated communist ideas, or were falsely accused of being communists. People often feared their neighbors, relatives, co-workers, friends, etc., because they MIGHT be communists, whether they were or not. What you have written is accurate, but incomplete. Your answers for the others are okay. On #3, please explain how reducing ground forces (army) saved money in favor of "total destruction" -- what does "total destruction" mean?