The development of the Cold War Flashcards
Truman Doctrine
Truman hoped that richer European countries would help rebuild Europe’s ruined economies, but they were bankrupt and had no money to help other countries due to the war.
So on 12 March 1947, Truman delivered a speech to the US Congress, promising that the USA would provide $400 million as well as specialist advisers to help countries in need recover from the war, criticising communism, and outlining his ideas about how the USA could stop it spreading.
Truman’s ideas became known as ‘the Truman Doctrine’.
Isolationism
Staying apart, not getting involved in the affairs of others. Before the Second World War, the USA had followed a policy of isolationism. This policy was now abandoned, setting itself up as the leader of the fight against communism, replacing it with a policy of containment in the USA.
Containment
The US policy of stopping communism from spreading.
Marshall Plan
As the USA’s infrastructure had not suffered much from the war, George Marshall gave a speech to follow up from Truman’s, saying that it would send aid to Europe.
The economic impact of Marshall Aid in Western Europe was enormous, but Eastern European countries did not benefit from the Marshall Plan as Stalin would not allow the satellite states to accept the money.
Cominform
Cominform was a political body used by Stalin to control the Soviet satellite states, set up in 1947. He encouraged trade with other Cominform members and no contact with non-communist countries, spreading anti-American propaganda.
Comecon
Comecon was a body set up to provide financial help to communist countries in 1949, as a defensive measure against the Marshall Plan, but this simply increased tensions.
The Berlin blockade
Because Trizonia (the Western side of Berlin made in 1948) was quite weak due to being surrounded by Soviet-occupied territory, Stalin decided to shut the land routes across Soviet-controlled Germany to show the power of Communism. The people in West Berlin would run out of necessities like food and coal.
Operation Vittles - the Berlin Airlift
The West could not get to Berlin by land without invading Soviet territory and risking war, so Truman thought that the Allies could fly supplies in and that Stalin would not be willing to risk war by shooting down a plane.
The West sent planes to fly supplies into West Berlin. Operation Vittles was also called the Berlin Airlift. The planes delivered food, coal and other essential items to West Berlin. After almost one year, in May 1949 the Soviets gave in and lifted the Berlin blockade.
The end of the Berlin blockade made the USA look stronger, as it had won without any casualties. The Soviet Union looked weak as it had backed down.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), 1949
What - A military alliance in the West. The members agreed that if any member was attacked, all of the other members would help them.
Why - The Berlin Blockade had shown that there was a real danger of conflict with the Soviet Union. This alliance aimed to protect its members.
Impact on relations - NATO showed that the West was prepared to use military force, meaning that the USA kept soldiers in Europe, threatening the Soviet Union.
The Warsaw Pact, 1955
What - A military alliance in the East. The members agreed to defend each other in the case of a war.
Why - The creation of NATO worried the Soviet Union. When West Germany joined NATO, the Warsaw Pact was made a week later.
Impact on relations - The Warsaw Pact was a threat to the West, showing that Europe was now completely divided in two militarily.
