1945-1947: The early Cold War

Question 1

What did Churchill say had descended over Europe? And in what year?

Answer 1

An ‘iron curtain’ (1946) - he meant an ideological divide between capitalism in the west and communism in the east

Question 2

Where did Churchill make his 1946 speech?

Answer 2

Missouri - the home state - with Truman also on stage. This showed Truman supported Churchill’s ideas.

Question 3

How did Stalin respond to Churchill’s ‘iron curtain’ speech?

Answer 3

By comparing ‘Mr Churchill and his friends’ to Hitler

Question 4

What was clear by the end of 1946?

Answer 4

That the Grand Alliance over

Question 5

What points did George Kennan (US ambassador in Moscow) make in the ‘Long Telegram’?

Answer 5

• Stalin had given a speech calling for the destruction of capitalism
• there could be no peace with the USSR while it was opposed to capitalism
• the USSR was building up its military power
• the USA should seek to contain communism

Question 6

What points Nikolai Novikov, the Soviet ambassador to America, make in his telegram to Stalin in 1946?

Answer 6

• America desired to dominate the world
• following the death of FDR, the US govt. no longer wanted co-operation with the USSR
• the American public was being prepared for war with the USSR

Question 7

When did Harry Truman set out his ‘Truman Doctrine’?

Answer 7

March 1947

Question 8

What was the ‘Truman Doctrine’?

Answer 8

A policy that the USA would intervene around the world to contain communism. This could be either economically or militarily.

Question 9

What was the significance of the Truman Doctrine?

Answer 9

Arguably it marked the beginning of the Cold War. It showed the USA wanted to spread capitalism and contain communism. The two superpowers were now in direct opposition.

Question 10

How was the Truman Doctrine different from previous US foreign policy?

Answer 10

The USA had previously followed the policy of isolationism. This marked a BIG change. The USA was now committed to getting involved around the world. (This shows how big a threat the USA thought the USSR presented.)

Question 11

What was the Marshall Plan?

Answer 11

The Marshall Plan was a plan to provide economic aid to countries in Europe to prevent them falling to communism.

Question 12

How much money was given to European countries as part of the Marshall Plan?

Answer 12

$13 billion ($17 billion by 1953)

Question 13

What did countries have to do in order to receive Marshall aid?

Answer 13

Countries had to agree to trade freely with America

Question 14

How did Truman describe the Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine?

Answer 14

As ‘two halves of the same walnut’

Question 15

What did the Marshall Plan do to international relations?

Answer 15

• The Marshall Plan made relations WORSE
• Stalin thought the USA was trying to buy influence in Europe
• Stalin also believed it was the first step towards a military alliance against the USA
• The world was now clearly divided into two camps (v. different from wartime co-operation of Grand Alliance)

Question 16

Who created the Marshall Plan?

Answer 16

George Marshall, US Secretary of State (equivalent to Foreign Secretary in USA)

Question 17

What was the significance of the Truman Doctrine in Greece?

Answer 17

US financial support allowed the Greek government to defeat communist rebels in Greece in a civil war.

Question 18

Overall, how did relations change between 1945-47?

Answer 18

• Relations got much worse
• At the beginning of this period, the USA, USSR and GB were still in the Grand Alliance
• By the end of this period, the world was clearly divided in two between communism and capitalism.
• With the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan, the USA were actively trying to contain the spread of communism