The Rosenbergs | The Cause

American Scandal

This episode of American Scandal explores the origins and ideological motivations behind the Rosenberg spy case during the Cold War era. It delves into the personal

Key takeaways

• The Rosenbergs' decision to spy was rooted in ideological belief rather than financial gain, driven by their conviction that communism represented justice and peace.
• David Greenglass's initial hesitation and eventual acceptance of espionage reveal how personal relationships and moral dilemmas influenced decisions during the Cold War.

Main topics

• Cold War espionage
• McCarthyism and Red Scare

Notable quotes

We're more than that. We're comrades.

Conclusion

The episode sets the stage for the larger narrative of the Rosenberg case, illustrating how personal beliefs,

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. American Scandal uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, might be invented, but everything is based on historical research. Speaker 1 (0:30) It's the afternoon of June 7th, 1950, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Julius Rosenberg hustles down the sidewalk, his eyes darting left and right. Julius is in his early 30s. He's just over average height, with round glasses, a thin dark mustache, and the beginnings of a middle-aged paunch. He may look unremarkable, but he has an extraordinary secret. For nearly a decade, Julius has been passing information to Soviet intelligence. and convincing other like-minded Americans to do the same. One of his most successful recruits is his brother-in-law, David Greenglass, and it's his apartment that Julius is hurrying toward. In recent months, a string of other Soviet spies have been arrested and brought in for questioning by the FBI. Julius knows it's only a matter of time before one of them points the finger at him, so he's begun quietly preparing to flee the country with his wife and young children. He thinks David should do the same. But as Julius approaches David's building, something catches his eye. A black sedan is parked directly across the street, and three men sit inside. All of them are staring at the entrance to David's building, and to Julius, they have FBI written all over them. So for a moment, he considers just walking on down the street. But the men may have already spotted him, and it would be even more suspicious if they saw him scurry away. So Julius takes a breath. and tries to look natural as he pushes open the front door and steps into the building. Once inside, he quickly climbs the stairs to David's fifth-floor apartment. Speaker 1 (2:09) David cautiously opens the door. Julie, come in. Julius quickly steps inside and David closes and deadbolts the door behind him. You see them outside? Julius nods. Can Speaker 3 (2:21) we Speaker 1 (2:21) talk? They've been out there all day, but the apartment's clean. All right, but let's just keep it down in case and put on some music. David switches on the radio. Julius looks anxiously toward the window where the FBI is parked below and considers making this purely a social call. But then he decides he and David need to talk seriously about the future. David, we both should have left weeks ago. Well, there's no way I'm going to make it out now, not with the FBI tailing me. Well, let's not assume the worst. Most important thing is to stay calm. We don't know what the feds have on you. Maybe someone mentioned your name just in passing. They're only checking you out. So what, I just sit here and wait? No, use this time to think about what you'll say if the FBI does bring you in. Rehearse it in your mind. You'll deny everything. Tell them you have no idea what they're talking about. And if I'm brought in, I'm going to do the same. All we have to do is stick together and we'll be fine. Stick together. Right. They would need real evidence to convict you of anything. And that's all sitting in some vault in Moscow. David looks down. He seems unwilling to meet Julius's eyes. So Julius leans in closer. David, swear to me you won't say anything. Oh, Julie, swear it. We need to be strong. You can count on me. We're family, right? We're more than that. We're comrades. As Julius Rosenberg exits the apartment and heads back down the stairs, he can't get the image of David Greenglass's face out of his mind. The way he couldn't meet his eyes. He can't tell if it was just fear or something else. Julius knows he's going to hold up his end of the bargain. He won't talk, no matter what. He just hopes David is smart and brave enough to do the same. Speaker 3 (4:08) Police in Irvine, California are investigating the double murder of a young couple in the parking lot of their apartment complex. A double homicide grabs the public's attention by the throat. We Speaker 1 (4:18) have identified Christopher Dorner Speaker 3 (4:19) as a suspect in this double homicide. A former cop and still on the loose. Considered armed and extremely dangerous. And scariest of all, he left something behind. A particular interest is a multi-page manifesto. This Speaker 4 (4:35) manifesto on Facebook is 11 pages long. Speaker 3 (4:38) Trace, this Speaker 2 (4:39) manifesto from this suspect who's targeting cops, it's stunning. Speaker 3 (4:43) Listen to the show The New Yorker calls one of the best podcasts of the summer, Dan Taberski's Manifesto. Speaker 1 (4:49) And I tell you, this manifesto, it scares the hell out of me. Speaker 3 (4:53) Listen to Dan Taberski's Manifesto wherever you get your podcasts or binge the entire series right now only with Audible. Speaker 1 (5:12) From Audible Originals, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American Scandal. Speaker 1 (5:37) FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover once referred to the investigation and trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg as the case of the century. Their story unfolded against the backdrop of McCarthyism and the Red Scare, a time when Americans were paranoid about communist collaborators in their midst while the specter of nuclear annihilation loomed over everything. The revelations about a homegrown spy ring sent shockwaves through American society. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were an ordinary-looking husband and wife from New York, so if they could be spies, anyone could. In such a frenzied atmosphere, some would question whether the Rosenbergs could ever receive a fair trial, and the case would remain controversial for decades after the couple's convictions. To some, the Rosenbergs were the ultimate traitors, who deserved to pay the ultimate price. To others, they were martyrs, wrongfully pursued by a vengeful government. But for the Rosenbergs and their family, the story was a personal one. To them, it was about competing loyalties to their country, their spouses, their friends, and their beliefs. For a time, Julius and Ethel had been able to reconcile their love for their home with their devotion to communism. But when the United States and the Soviet Union became enemies, they had been forced to choose where their allegiances really lay. This is Episode 1, The Cause. Speaker 1 (7:01) It's 1929 in a tenement building on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Seven-year-old David Greenglass is alone in the kitchen of his family's apartment, pouring baking soda into one of his mother's old mason jars. As far back as he can remember, David has been fascinated by machines and engineering, and today he's conducting an unusual experiment. With a science book open on the table next to him, he carefully follows the instructions for making a homemade bomb. David's parents are Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, and the family doesn't have much money. There are seven people packed into the apartment, including David's three siblings and a boarder they've taken on to help make rent. But despite the cramped conditions, David still finds the space for an occasional science experiment. David's forehead knots with concentration as he combines more household ingredients, smiling as the substance bubbles and fizzes. But then the froth starts to spill over the sides of the mason jar. Reflexively, he screws on the lid to contain it, but that only quickens the combustive process. The jar begins to shake, and seconds later, the lid pops off with a loud bang, spraying white foam all over the kitchen. David stands there, frozen in shock, as his father storms in. He looks around the room in horror and asks, what on earth just happened? David stammers out an explanation, but that only makes his father even angrier. He lays into David, calling him reckless, idiotic, and devoid of common sense. Young David is overwhelmed, frightened by the blast, and ashamed of what he's done. He runs past his father and down the hall. With tears streaming down his face, David instinctively runs to the bedroom of his oldest sibling, 14-year-old Ethel. David wipes his eyes as he knocks on her door. A moment later, she opens it. and asks what the commotion was all about. David tells her about the explosion and the scolding he got from their father, but Ethel just laughs. She assures David everything's fine and their father will get over it. Then she wipes the remaining tears from David's cheek and invites him inside. For David, being allowed in Ethel's room is always a treat. She's the sibling David looks up to the most, an aspiring actress who often spends evenings out of the house, running around the city with her bohemian friends. And as David sits on Ethel's bed, she hands him a script. Ethel explains she's rehearsing for the school play. She's got the lead role. And today she's memorizing her lines for the climactic final scene, and she needs David's help. David listens intently as Ethel tells him how to read the stage directions. And as they work together through the scene, David can feel his anxiety melt away. He's lucky to have a big sister like Ethel looking out for him. David never attempts to make a bomb in the kitchen again, but his passion for science remains. And while he continues his studies in the hope of becoming an engineer one day, his big sister Ethel soon graduates from high school. She wants to attend college as well, but it's the Great Depression, and money is tight. So she enters the workforce to help support the family instead. Ethel earns a certificate in typing and eventually lands a job at a packing and shipping company in New York's Garment District. Her first years on the job are uneventful enough, but in the summer of 1935, a dispute with the bosses leads Ethel's union to call a strike. It's highly contentious, and there's violence on the picket lines. It's a radicalizing experience for Ethel. Although barely 20, she soon takes on a leadership role in the union and even hosts strike committee meetings in her bedroom. But her political awakening comes at a cost. Ethel is fired from her job. But convinced that she's been targeted because of her union ties, she becomes even more passionate about labor rights. She continues to support striking workers and leans on her theater background by singing for them on picket lines and at labor rallies around the city. And