The Development of the Cold War Flashcards
Describe Truman’s Fears About Communism
-Kennan’s Long Telegram had confirmed Truman’s worst fears. It said the Soviet Union intended to spread communism throughout Europe.
-Truman’s military advisors assured him that the Soviet Union was not strong enough to fight a successful war against the West.
-However, Truman knew that the Soviet Union might not need to go to war to increase its territory and power.
Describe the how the Impact of the Second World War Made Communism Seem Attractive
-After the Second World War, many European countries were in ruins. Homes, factories and infrastructure like roads and railways had been destroyed.
-In these economic conditions, communism looked very attractive to poorer members of society.
-This was because in a communist state, the wealth of the richest people would be redistributed and shared by all.
-This meant Stalin did not need to fight a war. He just needed to influence the discontented people of Europe to support communism and help set up communist governments.
Explain why the USA was Concerned that Communism Might Spread
-The USA hoped that wealthier European countries such as Britain might be able to help rebuild Europe’s shattered economies (and make communism look like a less attractive option).
-However, after six tears of war, Britain was nearly bankrupt and aid to other countries was becoming impossible.
-When the British government announced in 1947 that it could no longer provide military support to the Greek government against communist guerrillas, Truman decided it was time to take action.
-The USA had to intervene to prevent another country falling to communism.
Describe the Aid Announced in the Truman Doctrine
-On 12 March 1947, President Truman delivered a speech to the US congress.
-The speech was officially given to announce an economic aid package to Greece and Turkey.
-Truman announced that the USA would provide $400 million in aid to Greece and Turkey and sent American civilian and military personal to the region.
-However, Truman also used the opportunity to make a clear statement of what he saw as the differences between democracy and communism.
Describe Truman’s Beliefs About Communism, Outlined in the Truman Doctrine
-In his speech, Truman spoke of two alternative ways of life between which every nation must choose.
-The first way, he said, offered majority rule and freedom from political oppression.
-The second was for the will of the minority to be forced upon the majority, which Truman said was what communism did.
-Truman believe choosing democracy over communism was like choosing good over evil.
-He said that communism should not be allowed to grow and that the USA was prepared to send troops and economic aid to those countries trying to receive it.
Explain how the Truman Doctrine Signalled a Change in the USA’s Approach to International Relations
-The beliefs expressed by President Truman in the Truman Doctrine signalled the beginnings of a new approach to international relations for the USA.
-Before the Second World War, the USA had followed a policy of isolationism. This policy was now abandoned.
-The USA was setting itself up as the leader of the fight against communism and isolationism was replaced with the policy of containment.
Describe the Purpose of the Marshall Plan
-The US had not suffered damage to its infrastructure and industry in the same way as European countries had, so it was well placed to provide economic aid to Europe.
-Three months after Truman’s speech, details were set out on how that aid would be provided in a speech by the US secretary of state, George Marshall.
-The Marshall Plan was a practical outcome of the Truman Doctrine.
-It provided economic aid to help war torn countries in order to stop the spread of communism from taking over Western Europe.
Describe the Aid Provided by the Marshall Plan
-Between 1948 and 1952, the USA gave $12.7 billion dollars of aid, in addition to $13 billion already given by the USA before the Marshall Plan went into action.
-The UK received $3.297 billion in aid, France $2.296 billion and Italy $1.209 billion.
-The economic impact of Marshall Aid in Western Europe was enormous although it took until the 1950s for the full effects to be seen.
Explain why Marshall Aid was Not Received by Countries in Eastern Europe
-In the USA, there was much debate about whether to offer aid to the Soviet Union and the satellite states.
-It was decided that it could be offered but (as in Western Europe) countries would have to first agree to a thorough review of their finances.
-However, the USA knew that Stalin would not allow this so, in practice, Eastern Europe did not benefit from the Marshall Plan.
Describe the Soviet Reaction to the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan
-President Truman saw his new policy as a defensive measure to contain communism. Not surprisingly, Stalin did not see it like this at all.
-He believed the Truman Doctrine showed that the USA was trying to extend its influence in Europe.
-He also thought it was undermining the international role of the UN by suggesting that it was America’s job to protect the world.
-Stalin argued that the Marshall Plan was a way of using economic might to divide Europe in two and establish an American economic empire in Europe.
-The Soviets called this ‘dollar imperialism’.
Describe the Impact of the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan on International Relations
-Any lingering belief that there was still a Grand Alliance was gone, as the USA had now set itself up in direct opposition to the communist Soviet Union- and invited other nations to join it.
-Stalin’s suspicions of the West were reinforced. He believed that he now had evidence that the USA was trying to crush the Soviet Union.
-The Marshall Plan successfully tied Western European countries into supporting the USA.
-As Stalin rejected it (and set up his own economic plan, Comecon), Europe was now divided into two economic and political camps.
Describe the Purpose of Cominform
-Cominform was a political organisation set up on Stalin’s orders on 22 September 1947.
-The new body gave Stalin a way of directing and controlling the governments of the satellite states.
-He wanted to ensure that they not only followed communism but also took orders from Moscow.
-The satellite states were encouraged to concentrate on trading with other Cominform members and all contact with non-communist countries was discouraged.
-At Cominform’s first meeting it rejected the Marshall Plan and began to spread propaganda accusing America of being no different from Nazi Germany.
Describe the Member States of Cominform
-Cominform had nine members: the Communist party of the Soviet Union, and the Communist Parties of the satellite states.
-These satellite states were: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Romania along with Yugoslavia, France and Italy.
-The strongest support for Cominform came from the Yugoslav communists under the leadership of Tito so its headquarters were established in Belgrade.
-However, growing tension between Stalin and Tito led to the expulsion of Yugoslavia from Cominform in June 1948. The headquarters were then moved to Bucharest in Romania.
Describe the Purpose of Comecon
-Stalin wanted communist states to keep their independence from capitalist governments and did not want the US to become influential in Eastern Europe.
-As a result, he did not allow the satellite states to accept Marshall Aid but knew that he needed to offer a positive alternative if he was to keep them under his control.
-He therefore created Comecon to provide aid in line with communist principles. Comecon was established on 25 January 1949, two years after the Marshall Plan was announced.
-Its members were the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and East Germany. Albania joined the following year.
Describe how Comecon Provided Aid to its Member States
-Comecon was in direct competition with the Marshall Plan and aimed to support economic development in its member states.
-At first, Comecon’s main activities were arranging trade and credit agreements between member countries.
-After 1953, the Soviet Union used Comecon to try to organise industrial planning across all the satellite states.
-Each state had a Five Year Plan, nationalised industry and collectivised agriculture.
-Trade with the USA and Western Europe was discouraged in favour of trade with the Soviet Union and other member states.
-Bulgaria’s trade with other Comecon members increased from around 10% in the 1930s to over 90% in 1951.
