What was the purpose of Elizabeth Bentley's testimony?

Elizabeth Bentley was an American spy for the Soviet Union who later became an informer for the United States. Her testimony, which began in 1945 and continued with various trials and hearings through the late 1940s, was intended to alert the U.S. government to Soviet espionage activities. Bentley confessed to her role in the espionage and named many other Americans as spies for the Soviet Union. Her detailed revelations contributed to the atmosphere of suspicion and fear during the early stages of the Cold War and the "Red Scare," where there was widespread concern over communist influence within the United States.

Her testimony had several purposes:

1. To reveal the extent of Soviet espionage in the United States, particularly within the government. 2. To expose the networks and individuals involved in passing sensitive information to the Soviet Union. 3. To provide information that could lead to the arrest and prosecution of Soviet spies. 4. To demonstrate her own break with communism and to portray herself as contrite and loyal to the United States. 5. To assist the FBI and other authorities in understanding how espionage networks operated, which could help in developing counter-espionage strategies.

Bentley's testimony was a key moment in the early Cold War, as it helped to confirm suspicions of Soviet infiltration and influenced how the U.S. government approached issues of internal security.