6.2 - 1946-55: USA countering Soviet influence Flashcards
What happened in March 1946 that is seen as the moment the West publically recognised the Soviet threat?
Churchill’s famous Iron Curtain Speech
What did Churchill state about Eastern European countries in his iron curtain speech?
That they had been placed under totalitarian rule and were controlled from Moscow
Who heavily influenced Truman’s foreign policy?
George Kennan, a diplomat based in Moscow
When was George Kennan’s ‘Long telegram’?
22nd February 1946
What were 2 things George Kennan claimed about the USSR in his long telegram?
- The Soviet Union was inherently expansionist
- They saw the West as an enemy
HOW DID WESTERN POWERS RESPOND TO SOVIET ACTIONS IN EASTERN EUROPE?
HOW DID WESTERN POWERS RESPOND TO SOVIET ACTIONS IN EASTERN EUROPE?
When did Clement Attlee inform Truman that British aid to Greece and Turkey would stop?
21st February 1947
When did Truman give his famous speech in which he announced the Truman doctrine?
12th March 1947
What is a quote from Truman’s speech?
He promised to support ‘free peoples everywhere who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures’
How much did Truman give Greece to defeat ELAS in the Greek Civil War?
$300 million
How much money overall was in the Truman Doctrine?
$400 million
Why was the Truman doctrine significant?
It saved a country that appeared to be on the verge of joining the communist bloc
Where did Marshall Plan negotiations start and fail?
Paris negotiations
What was the Marshall Plan named after?
US Secretary of State George C. Marshall
What % of the vote did the communists win in Italy in 1946?
28%
What % of the vote did the communists win in France in 1948?
31%
How much did the European countries ask for in aid?
$29 billion
How much did the European countries receive in aid?
$17 billion
How much did France receive in Marshall aid?
$2.7 billion
How much did Italy receive in Marshall aid?
$1.5 billion
How much did West Germany receive in Marshall aid?
$1.4 billion
How much did Yugoslavia receive in Marshall aid?
$109 million
HOW DID THE SOVIET UNION REACT TO THE MARSHALL PLAN?
HOW DID THE SOVIET UNION REACT TO THE MARSHALL PLAN?
What did Stalin refuse to do?
Allow his satellite states to apply for assistance
What did the Soviets portray the Marshall plan as?
Dollar imperialism
What prompted Congress to pass the Marshall Plan?
Passed by Congress on the 3rd April 1948 - Jan Masaryk was murdered in March 1948
Why were Yugoslavia expelled from Cominform in 1948?
Tito accepted Marshall Aid
What was Comecon?
The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
What was Comecon founded as an alternative to?
Dollar imperialism
