Julius Rosenberg and Ethel Rosenberg were an American couple convicted of spying for the Soviet Union, including providing top-secret information about radar, sonar, jet propulsion, and nuclear weapons. They were executed by the federal government in 1953, becoming the first Americans to be executed for charges of communism.
The Rosenberg Case was the result of mass paranoia within the United States against communism. Although the crimes held ground, the trial and execution was perceived by many Americans as too harsh. Protests erupted to prevent the couple’s execution and claims were made about antisemitism. However, these charges were mainly believed abroad in European countries rather than the United States.