McCarthyism: The Fall of Joseph McCarthy (Ep 5)
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McCarthyism: The Fall of Joseph McCarthy (Ep 5)

42:24 Mar 16, 2026
About this episode
What happened when Joseph McCarthy turned his communist-catching energy on the army? What film, directed by Elia Kazan and starring Marlon Brando, is viewed as an allegory for the McCarthy hearings? In what ways did the ‘Lavender scare’ subtext influence the investigations into Roy Cohn? What famous line brought down the reputation of this ‘red-scare’ fuelling demagogue?  Sarah Churchwell and David Olusoga look at the Army-McCarthy hearings and the spectacularly public downfall of Joseph McCarthy.  Email: journeythroughtime@goalhanger.com  X: @ThroughTimePod Blue Sky: @ThroughTimePod Instagram: @JourneyThroughTimePod Social Producer: Emma Jackson Assistant Producers: Alfie Rowe, Alfie Norris  Producer: Alice Horrell Head of History: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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