Name: Denis Savage

Student No: 112309081

Course Code: H12041
Source: 9 February 1950 Joseph McCarthy, Enemies from Within
Lecturer: David Ryan














In the forthcoming paragraphs, I am going to give a critical analysis of former Republican Senator Joe
McCarthys Enemies from Within speech that he gave on February 9
th
to the Republican womens
club of Wheeling, West Virginia. The speech was written at the beginning of the Cold War, as an
attack on the Truman government and its foreign policy agenda. During this time, 1947-1950,
relations between the United States of America and the Soviet Union were becoming strained due to
the actions of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe, the victory of Chairman Mao and his communist
party in China, along with the huge controversy surrounding the Alger Hiss. The latter point created
a wave of terror amongst America, which Joe McCarthy upon learning that he could attract press
attention by making sensational claims, latched onto. As can be seen from the speech itself Today
we can almost physically hear the mutterings and rumblings of an invigorated god of war
1
this is a
time of volatility, both sides on the verge of another war.

When looking at sources like this speech for analysis, one of the first questions a historian must ask
himself is where was this document produced and who the intended primary recipients of this
document are. McCarthy gave this now infamous speech on Lincolns Day in Wheeling, West Virginia,
an area that is considered part of the Bible Belt of America, an area renowned for its fundamental
Christian beliefs along with its extremely conservative and often controversial political beliefs.
McCarthy became infamous for being a demagogue tactics of playing upon the fears and emotions

1
""Enemies from Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty." "Enemies from
Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6456
(accessed February 3, 2014).
of his ignorant audience through his unsubstantiated and often outlandish wild claims. Throughout
this speech, we can see McCarthy is using this tactic to full effect by playing on the Christian beliefs
of his audience, by constantly pitting the western Christian world against the atheistic Communist
world,
2
as a means of brining the issue closer to home for the audience. He further plays upon the
religious beliefs of the crowd, by declaring the greatest difference between the United States of
America and the USSR is not political it is moral
3
. Furthermore, he attempts to create a sense of
panic and urgency amongst the audience that they are under fear of attack, given that according to
McCarthy, Stalin and Lenin have both said that that no nation, no people who believe in a god, can
exist side by side with their communistic state
4
. McCarthy it seems is trying to force the hand of the
Truman government into action, by ratcheting up the wave of terror from the supposed imminent
Soviet attack amongst this already fearful audience.

McCarthy before this speech, outside his own peer group, was a quite isolated figure in the both the
United States Senate and US politics, which explains the searing contempt he has for the supposed
traitorous members of the State Department. The use of the word traitor
5
, upon first glancing
seems as if it has been plagiarised directly from the speeches of Stalin or Lenin, however ironically
enough it forms the core basis for McCarthys speech. Its quite clear that there is a heavy bias in this
speech, McCarthy is happy to use sensational unsubstantiated claims to attack members of the State
Department along with attracting publicity from the media along with support from the nave
audience. Furthermore, we get a sense of envy in McCarthys speech, although to what extent it is

2
""Enemies from Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty." "Enemies from
Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6456
(accessed February 3, 2014).
3
""Enemies from Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty." "Enemies from
Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6456
(accessed February 3, 2014).
4
""Enemies from Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty." "Enemies from
Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6456
(accessed February 3, 2014).
5
""Enemies from Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty." "Enemies from
Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6456
(accessed February 3, 2014).
quite hard to decipher given that there is no audio recordings of this speech. However, McCarthy
came from quite humble agricultural backgrounds versus those in the State Department who have
the finest homes, the finest college education and the finest jobs in government we can giv
6
e. It is
quite clear that McCarthy has a large personal investment in this speech, explaining the high level of
bias and frequent sensationalism.
One of the issues with primary sources such as this, along with the high level of bias, is that key
points are often subject to great controversy, and this speech is no exception to this, intensified
further by the lack of audio recording. It is hotly debated on the number of communist McCarthy
said was working in the State Department at that time. Some sources saying McCarthy declaring
205, but the number McCarthy gave when submitting the speech to Congressional records along
with in his telegram to Truman is 57 we have been able to compile a list of 57 Communists in the
State Department
7
. This high level of ambiguity along with the high level of bias throughout it
should have greatly diminished its political power, yet this is the reason why it is such a powerful
historical source. It gives us a huge insight into the beliefs of both the American people, but also the
American political system that McCarthy was able to rise to such great power as a result . It shows us
how astute as a politician McCarthy was, it is quite clear that he had his finger on the pulse of
America, coupled with his sensationalist claims he was able to increase his standing in American
politics.
To conclude, it is quite clear to quote David Iredale that Original material may be ... prejudiced, or
at least not exactly what it claims to be
8
, with McCarthys speech being a testament to this. This
speech sums up not only the fear existed in America towards the supposed red threat, but also the

6
""Enemies from Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty." "Enemies from
Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6456
(accessed February 3, 2014).
7
""Enemies from Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty." "Enemies from
Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6456
(accessed February 3, 2014).

8
Iredale, David. Enjoying archives: what they are, where to find them, how to use them. Newton Abbot:
Shire Publications, 1973.
politic character of McCarthy himself, who would later have the term McCarthyism coined for his
controversial political speeches and actions. The use of religion as one of the main points of the
religion gives us great insight into the beliefs of the audience before McCarthy as he gave this
speech, making it quite personal for the audience rather than alienating them by giving them a
speech on something in which the audience would have no personal investment in. Furthermore,
the sheer level of prejudice that McCarthy has towards that members of State Department in his
use of traitor making this personal battle.














Bibliography
1. Enemies from Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty." "Enemies from
Within": Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's Accusations of Disloyalty.
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6456 (accessed February 3, 2014).
2. Iredale, David. Enjoying archives: what they are, where to find them, how to use them. Newton
Abbot: Shire Publications, 1973.
3. Enemies Within: Joe McCarthy | Smithsonian Channel." Smithsonian Channel.
http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/sc/web/show/3364441/enemies-within-joe-mccarthy
(accessed February 6, 2014).