Rosenberg Trial and Execution
Russian America, Part 2
In 1950, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were arrested for allegedly passing nuclear secrets to the soviets. The two were convicted under the Espionage Act of 1917 and sentenced to death. Despite concerns over the quality of the convicting evidence and public opinion in favor of clemency, the Rosenbergs were executed by electric chair on June 19, 1953. The Rosenberg trial and execution took place during the heart of the “Red Scare,” a period of paranoia over communist activity in America that took place from 1947- 1954.
The Russian presence in America served as a source of tension in the aftermath of opposition between the countries and laid grounds for future disruptions in foreign relations.
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Casalaspi, David. "The Cold War Museum." Cold War Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://www.coldwar.org/articles/50s/TheRosenbergTrial.asp>.
"Julius and Ethel Rosenberg." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Feb. 2014. Web. 19 Feb. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_and_Ethel_Rosenberg>.
July 17, 1950-June 19, 1953
Edward Snowden Controversy
Russian-America, Part 5
The recent controversy surrounding Edward Snowden has again tested the relationship between Russia and the United States. On June 23, 2013, Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency contractor who leaked thousands of pages of classified information, arrived in the Moscow airport, creating a standoff between the United States and Russia. The United States requested that Russia extradite Snowden, who had been charged under the espionage act, while Russia claimed that Snowden was in the airport transit zone and not technically within Russia. After 40 days in the airport, Russia granted Snowden temporary asylum, much to the United States’ dismay. Snowden remains in Russia in an undisclosed location to this day.
Snowden's actions are representative of political dissent akin to the Rosenbergs' espionage that occured nearly half a century earlier. Both cases pitted Russia and the U.S. against each other. The most recent case has driven a significant wedge between the two countries.
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Luhn, Alec. "Edward Snowden passed time in airport reading and surfing internet." theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 1 Aug. 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/01/edward-snowden-airport-reading>.
Walker, Shaun. "Edward Snowden: first photo appears since Russian asylum granted." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/10/edward-snowden-first-photo-russian-asylum>.
Merced, Michael. "Russia Plans to Extend Snowden Asylum, Lawmaker Says." The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Jan. 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/25/world/europe/russia-plans-to-extend-snowden-asylum-lawmaker-says.html>.
RT. "Snowden can extend his asylum every year â lawyer - RT News." Snowden can extend his asylum every year - lawyer - RT News. N.p., 25 Jan. 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://rt.com/news/snowden-extend-asylum-lawyer-176/>.
June 5, 2013 - Present