3 The development of the Cold War Flashcards
the development of the cold war
- truman doctrine 1947
- marshall plan 1947
- Berlin blockade 1948-1949
- military alliances
the truman doctrine date
1947
the truman doctrine
greek government vs communist rebels > civil war 1946
soviet satellites aid rebels
britain worried about spread of communist influence because would affect economic interests in the Mediterranean-> aid government -> could not afford -> ask US for help
us no direct interest in greece -> saw conflict as communist threat -> act -> march 1947 speech for policy -> determined to check spread for communism -> aid mainly in form of economic + military aid (us $400 million to give to greece and turkey to combat communist threat) + military expats
greek civil war ended in 1949 -> gov able to defeat communists with US help ->
1. success seem as victory of capitalist bloc over communist -> greece is a sample of checking communist advanced in eastern EU
2. marked great change in american foreign policy -> US give up traditional isolationist policy -> ready to take on major role in world affairs -»> policy of containment
truman doctrine date + quote
12 march 1947
“support free people’s who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures”
why was the greek civil war significant
- success seen as victory of capitalist bloc over communist -> greece is a sample of checking communist advanced in eastern EU
- marked great change in american foreign policy -> US give up traditional isolationist policy -> ready to take on major role in world affairs -»> policy of containment
how did the US help the greece government
us $400 million to give to greece + turkey to combat communist threat
1. military expats
Marshall Plan date
1947 june
Marshall plan
1947 -> much of EU still lay in ruins
1. farms + factories produced much less than they had before WW2
2. severe winter followed by droughts + floods made recovery more difficult
US secretary of state George Marshall visited EU -> recorded: “people are crying for help, for coal, for food, and for most of the necessities of life. the patient (EU) is sinking.”
truman think communism particularly attractive to poor + discontent people -> fear west EU would fall to communism -> marshall plan -> massive aid to Europe -> intend to bring economic recovery of EU so they can resist communist expansion -> open to all countries even SU and satellites -> claimed that the policy is directed “not to any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, chaos”
SU treat Marshall plan as a capitalist plot to dominate EU -> prevented satellites in East EU from accepting Marshall Plan -> 3 months later form Communist Information Bureau -> coordinate activities of communist parties of SU and her satellites
counteract US influence -> Russia launch Molotov Plan in 1947 -> set up COMECON (council for mutual economic assistance in 1949 -> assist economic development of East EU + soviet satellites -> scale of assistance much smaller
contest of offering economic aid to EU countries -> tense
molotov plan year
1947
COMECON year
1949
how was EU in 1947
much of EU still in ruins
1. farms + factories produced much less than they had before WW2
2. severe winter followed by droughts + floods made recovery more difficult
Berlin Blockade background
1945-> Germany divided into 4 occupation zones:
1. soviet
2. american
3. british
4. french
capital divided the same way
Joint Allied Control Council set up -> ensure cooperation among 4 powers -> real coop was difficult
1. clash over reparations
SU wanted Germany to pay heavy rep for what they did in war
Us Brit France agree to encourage Germany’s economic recovery + reunify 4 zones -> stalin deeply suspicious of a strong + powerful germany -> opposition aims increase distrust
relations at first peaceful -> SU kept routes from Berlin to west Germany (their share of land) open
- currency reform
three Western Powers proposed to reform Germany currency -> encourage German recovery -> stalin REJECT -> ignored + establish West Germany and begin currency reform
Stalin declared he will not allow new currency to be used throughout berlin -> demand whole of Berlin placed under Soviet control
Germany’s 4 occupation zones in 1945
- soviet
- american
- british
- french
the two clashes over Germany
- reparations
- currency reform
Berlin Airlift
Britain + US decide to airlift massive supplies to West Berlin along 3 narrow air corridors june 1948 -> may 1949
-> tons of supplies etc food and fuel -> expensive + difficult to operate -> it worked -> west Berlin able to get supplies from western zones of Germany -> stalin dare not stop airlift by direct action -> fear shooting down plane -> us reaction + nuclear weapons -> blockade FAIL -> reopened land routes to West Berlin in May 1949
