American History Hit – "American Traitors: The Rosenbergs"

Host: Don Wildman
Guest: Dr. Laurie Clune (Professor of History, Cal State Fresno)
Release Date: August 28, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Don Wildman and historian Dr. Laurie Clune dive deep into the infamous case of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. Accused and executed as Soviet spies in the early Cold War era, the Rosenbergs’ trial and deaths unleashed controversy and decades of debate about justice, anti-communist hysteria, and the true nature of their guilt. The conversation tackles the historical context, key figures, the fairness and legacy of the trial, and new evidence that continues to reshape their story.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: America in the Early Cold War

Timestamps: 01:04–08:49

• Cold War Anxiety: Don Wildman sets the atmosphere, emphasizing the “creeping suspicion” and paranoia that made the Cold War so terrifying:

  "What made the Cold War particularly terrifying was the creeping suspicion that the danger wasn't just out there. It was here among us—a fear that American citizens themselves were secretly working to undermine the homeland." (03:40, Don Wildman)

• Shock Events:
  • The Soviet atomic bomb test (Aug 1949)
  • China’s communist revolution
  • Korean War outbreak—all heightening American fears
• State of Mind: Dr. Clune stresses that "the threat and spread of communism did not feel academic. It felt quite real." (05:10)

2. Origins of the Atomic Spy Hunt

Timestamps: 08:49–12:01

• The Manhattan Project and Espionage: After the Soviet bomb, the U.S. government scrambled to find how the USSR obtained its secrets.
• Klaus Fuchs: British physicist, key spy—his 1950 arrest leads to Harry Gold (courier), who in turn points to David Greenglass and the Rosenbergs.

3. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg: Background & Motivations

Timestamps: 12:01–16:55

• Personal Stories:
  • Ethel: Jewish immigrant background, activist, political awakening in the Depression.
  • Julius: Electrical engineer, briefly Army employee, then fired for Communist ties.
• Motivation for Spying:

  "For him, it was ideological... he believed any military information that the United States had should be shared with the Soviets..." (15:18, Dr. Clune)

• Joining the Cause: Julius approached Soviet authorities to volunteer his help.

4. Inside the Spy Ring

Timestamps: 16:55–23:44

• Network Structure: Julius managed a network of up to a dozen people, recruiting and organizing.
• The Greenglass Connection: Ethel’s brother, David, was a machinist at Los Alamos and a source of information—though the value of his information was limited compared to Fuchs.
• Family Ties: Ruth Greenglass (David’s wife) also carried information.
• Pressure Tactics:

  "David's a spy, fine. But Julius can name a dozen other people and bring down one of the larger spy rings. So the key becomes: how do we get Julius to talk?" (20:55, Dr. Clune)

5. Capture and Codebreaking—The VENONA Project

Timestamps: 23:44–26:01

• Arrests:
  • Fuchs arrested (Feb 1950), followed by Gold, then Greenglass, Julius (July), and finally Ethel (August 1950).
• VENONA Cables: U.S. cryptanalysts secretly decoded Soviet diplomatic cables, confirming espionage but couldn’t use them in court—thus the need for testimony from the Greenglasses.

6. The Trial of the Rosenbergs

Timestamps: 25:25–35:09

• Charges: Conspiracy to commit espionage under the 1917 Espionage Act—carrying possible death penalty, even though espionage targeted an ally (the USSR during WWII).

• Trial Dynamics:

  • Julius and Ethel tried together to increase pressure.
  • Ethel a "lever"—her arrest and prosecution intended to force Julius to confess.
  • David Greenglass flips, implicating Ethel at the last minute, later admitting (in 2001) that his testimony against Ethel was fabricated.

• Memorable Exchange:

  "At the beginning, [Greenglass] says, 'Ethel had nothing to do with it.' Eight days before the trial, they say, 'No, really? We're arresting your wife today if you don't talk.' And he breaks, changes his story and says Ethel typed reports." (29:17, Dr. Clune)

• Prosecutor: Roy Cohn, future McCarthy sidekick, relished his role:

  "He was quite proud of that accomplishment." (31:02, Dr. Clune)

• Defense & Jury: Inexperienced defense lawyers; jury mostly men, just one woman, no Jewish members.

7. Verdict, Sentencing, and Public Reaction

Timestamps: 34:28–39:17

• Guilty Verdict: March 29, 1951; sentenced to death a week later.
• Judge Kaufman: Relied on "treason" language even though legally the charge was espionage conspiracy.
• Pressure Tactics: Sons brought to prison to pressure the Rosenbergs to confess; government hoped to avoid executing a mother.
• Notable Quote:

  “Roy Cohn said Ethel alone was the ringleader who led Julius around by a leash. She's older. She's the one with the brains.” (35:09, Dr. Clune)

• Widespread Appeals and Protests:
  • Einstein, the Pope, Sartre, Picasso, Eleanor Roosevelt, and others appealed for clemency; Truman passed responsibility to Eisenhower, who refused.
  • Eisenhower feared commutation would encourage women spies:

    “[Eisenhower wrote] Julius is the slave, Ethel is the master. She's a red spider. She's a bad mother who's willing to abandon her children.” (37:44, Dr. Clune)

• Global Demonstrations: Growing, especially after papal condemnation.

8. Execution at Sing Sing

Timestamps: 40:14–43:41

• Final Hours: Dramatic last-minute legal maneuvers; the execution time moved earlier to avoid the Sabbath, but still happened after sunset.
• Details:
  • Julius put to death first (8:04 pm).
  • Ethel’s execution botched due to her small frame; required extra jolts.
  • Last words:

    “They say to her, Julius is gone. Can you name anyone to save yourself for your children? And she apparently said, 'I have no names to give. I'm prepared to die.'" (42:49, Dr. Clune)

9. Aftermath and Historical Legacy

Timestamps: 45:19–54:33

• Treason or Espionage:

  • They were never legally charged with treason; sentenced under the Espionage Act.
  • Judge Kaufman’s rhetoric muddied public understanding.

  “Even the FBI website gets this wrong. The NSA... claimed they were executed for treason.” (46:08, Dr. Clune)

• Symbolism and Martyrdom:

  • The Soviet Union, post-execution, embraced them as martyrs.
  • Streets named for them in Cuba, Eastern Europe; eulogized by W.E.B. Du Bois.

• Their Children:

  • Adopted by the Meeropols; led stable, productive lives while changing their names for privacy.
  • Abel Meeropol, the adoptive father, wrote "Strange Fruit."

• Guilt and New Evidence:

  • Julius definitely passed military secrets, though not the atomic bomb’s key secrets; he led a mid-level spy ring.

  “Did he hand the secret of the atomic bomb to the Soviets? No. Did he run a medium-sized spy ring that provided some crucial military technology? Yes, absolutely.” (49:52, Dr. Clune)

  • Ethel: Post–Cold War evidence and declassified documents (including as late as 2024) suggest she was not an active spy.

  “[NSA document, 2024]: 'Ethel knew about her husband's work, but due to ill health, she did not engage in the work herself.'” (50:43, Dr. Clune)

• Cultural Legacy:

  • Compared to the Dreyfus Affair for its societal and anti-Semitic undertones.
  • The saga pervades American cultural memory—appearing in works like "Angels in America."

• Death Penalty Debate:

  • Their stonewalling (refusal to confess/implicate others) contributed to the government’s decision to execute.

• Ongoing Significance:

  • Historians and educators still fight mischaracterizations; Dr. Clune notes continual student confusion or misinformation.
  • Massive global protest revealed the case's impact on international opinion of American justice and propaganda.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Cold War Fear:

  “It wasn’t Happy Days, it was not Beach Boy Summers. It was like, oh my God, the world is going to end.”
  — Don Wildman (06:06)

• On Motivation for Spying:

  “For him, it was ideological... not for money. He believed any military information... should be shared with the Soviets.”
  — Dr. Laurie Clune (15:18)

• On Family Betrayal:

  “In my generation, your wife is more important than your sister.”
  — David Greenglass, as recounted by Dr. Clune (30:14)

• On Ethel’s Role:

  “The person in this who doesn’t have a code name is Ethel.”
  — Dr. Laurie Clune (21:20)

Key Timestamps

• Cold War Context: 01:04–08:49
• Origins of the Spy Ring: 08:49–16:55
• Network and Arrests: 16:55–23:44
• VENONA/Arrests Map: 23:44–26:01
• Trial & Prosecution: 25:25–35:09
• Execution: 40:14–43:41
• Aftermath & Legacy: 45:19–54:33

Final Reflections

Don and Dr. Clune conclude that the Rosenberg case endures as one of the most complex and controversial episodes of American legal, political, and cultural history—a cautionary tale of justice, hysteria, and the nebulous boundary between true treason and ideological conviction. It raises perennial questions about due process in times of national fear, the death penalty, and how history is recorded and remembered.

Guest info:
Dr. Laurie Clune is Professor of History at Cal State University, Fresno, and the author of Executing the Rosenbergs: Death and Diplomacy in a Cold War World.
She can be contacted via the Fresno State history department website. (54:33)

"This is an incredibly dark chapter of American history... have we closed the book on this? I think as a historian, I have to say that there’s so much to learn from it." — Dr. Laurie Clune (52:17)