Conflicts Between the FBI and Soviet Intelligence in the Late 1930s and Early 1940s as a Factor in the Development of the Red Scare in the USA

Introduction

• The First Red Scare (1917-1920) had a significant impact on US relations with Soviet Russia.
• The activities of the US Department of Justice, particularly the infamous Palmer Raids (1919-1920), cemented the concept of Russian hostility in American society.
• After 1920, the Red Scare in society declined, but in security agencies, especially in the FBI, the biased attitude towards Russia continued to dominate.

Major Events of the 1930s

• In the 1930s, confrontation and mistrust between the USA and the Soviet Union intensified.
• In 1934, anti-communist committees were established, such as Committee 76 in San Francisco.
• From 1935, structures began forming to combat Soviet intelligence in the USA.
• In 1938, a Soviet spy network in the USA was exposed.

Activities of Key Figures

• J. Edgar Hoover led the FBI and was actively involved in the fight against Soviet intelligence.
• Mikhail Gorin and Hayk Ovakimyan were key figures in Soviet intelligence in the USA.
• Relations with the USSR deteriorated against the backdrop of intelligence confrontations.

Development of the Red Scare

• By 1939, tensions between the two countries increased, contributing to the development of the second Red Scare (1947-1957).
• In 1941, numerous Soviet spies in the USA were uncovered, which heightened distrust and fear of communism.

Consequences

• The FBI's efforts in combating Soviet intelligence contributed to the development of anti-communist sentiments in American society.
• US policy in the 1930s-1940s, influenced by the fear of communism, affected international relations and the country's domestic policy.

Conclusion

• The conflicts between the FBI and Soviet intelligence in the 1930s-1940s played a significant role in heightening anti-communist sentiments in the USA.
• These events became an important part of the history of American counterintelligence and the formation of the Red Scare.

Sources

1. Batvinis R.J. The Origins of FBI Counterintelligence. Lawrence, Kansas, 2007.
2. Chicago Daily Tribune. 1941. March 23.
3. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Library (FDRL).
4. Lamphere R., Snatchman T. The FBI-KGB War.
5. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
6. National Security Agency (NSA).
7. The New York Times. 1941.
8. Weiner T. Enemies: A History of the FBI.
9. History of World War II 1941-1945.
10. Encyclopedia: Soviet State and Law.
11. Levin Y.A. Doctoral Dissertation.