mutual suspicion Flashcards
the cold war was a period of international tension- with each side suspicious of the other
by 1946, tensions between the superpowers were high . each country issued secret telegrams about the other
the long telegram- february 1946
. issues to presidant truman about the USSR
.it said that stalin had given a speech in favour of the destruction of capitalism
.it warned of the USSR trying to weaken and divide western powers, while building the strength of its own military.
The novikov telegram- september 1946
.issued to stalin about the USA
.the report claimed thst the USA was pursuing world supremacy.
.it warned that the USA, was trying to limit the influence of the USSR in europe.
truman acted to contain the communist threat
president truman was extremely worried about the spread of communism to western europe.
the truman doctrine- announced march 1947
The USA pledged to supportany nation threatened by communist takeover.
This support could be diplomatic, military or financial.For example the USA gave 400 million of aid to turkey and greece to stop communism spreading.
the marshall plan , announced june 1947
this promised 17 billion , of aid to european countries to help rebuild their economies- the areas of germany under western occupation benifited massively. Stalin, however ordered all of his sattelite states to reject the plan.
He belived the USA was using economic incentives to lure eastern european states away from the USSR.
The USSR reacted by creating the cominform
stalin felt threatened by the truman doctrine, and reacted by strengthening and uniting his allies
the cominform
was set up in 1947. The organisation brough together all european communist parties and placed them under the control of the USSR
the comecon
was established in 1949. it countered the marshall plan by nationalising industries, collectivising agriculture anf offering economic acid.
stalin hoped this would encourage economic developtment in eastern europe and discourage trade with west.
