Truman Doctrine And Marshall Plan Flashcards
What did the Kennan telegram confirm?
Truman’s fear that the USSR wanted to spread communism
Why was Truman still worried after assured USSR couldn’t fight the west?
Truman believed the USSR wouldn’t have to go to war to increase territory and power
How easy would it be for communist expansion to happen after the war?
Countries were ruined and communism looked ideal to poorer members of society. All Stalin had to do was set up communist government and get support through Europe
What caused the Truman Doctrine to be put in place?
Britain was supposed to help rebuild Europe but after six years they were in an awful economic situation as well. In 1947, Britain announced they couldn’t provide military support against communist guerillas
Why were Cominform and Comecon created?
Marshall Plan set Stalin an economic and political challenge, so he decided to create two governments for communist countries of Europe
Why was Comecon specifically created?
Stalin wanted communist states to avoid capitalist governments so he made sure satellite states didn’t accept Marshall aid. Also needed a better alternative to Marshall Plan to get support.
What was the Truman Doctrine?
Truman delivered speech on 12th March 1947 to announce an economic aid package to Greece and Turkey. $400 million would be aided for Greece and Turkey, along with military aid.
Truman saw this speech as a chance to show his views, saying choosing democracy or vommunism was like good and evil. He said he was only willing to aid those who resist the ‘evil’ communism
What policy did USA run on before WW2?
Policy of isolationism: staying apart, not getting involved in affairs of others.
How did USA’s policy change after the Truman Doctrine?
Policy of containment: preventing the spread of communism outside a small number of countries
Why were USA well-placed to provide economic aid to Europe?
They hadn’t taken damage to infrastructure and indsutry during WW2 like other European countries did
What happened three months after Truman Doctrine speech?
George Marshall (US secretary of state) spoke about how the aid of the Truman Doctrine would be provided
Give the numbers of Marshall plan aid?
$12.7 billion aid, along with $13 billion aldeady given to USA before the Marshall Plan
The economic impact of thr Marshall aid in Western Europe was enormous, but when did the full effects start to be seen?
1950s
What did the British foreign secretary, Ernest Bevin call the Marshall plan?
‘A lifeline to sinking men, giving hope there was none.’
During ww2, who was the German occupation of Greece resisted by?
Two separate groups in Greece: a communist group and a pro-royalist group.
What happened to the two groups in Greece after Germans left?
They fell out (Greek Civil war)
What did Britain do during the Greek civil war?
Restored the Greek monarchy and put down a communist rebellion
When did communists renew their fight in Greece?
1946, British tried to suppress them, but asked USA to take over in 1947
When were communists in Greece finally defeated?
1949, they fled to Albania
What was there much debate around in the Marshall plan?
Whether to provide aid for Soviet Union ans satellite states
What was decided on whether to give aid to Soviet Union?
It could be offered but countries would have to undergo a thorough review of finances which Stalin wouldn’t do, so Eastern countries didn’t benefit from the Marshall plan.
Marshall aid was not just loans and grants to governments. What else was it?
Involved making direct grants to groups in need, including: nets for Norwegian fishermen, mules for Greek farmers, food for starving people
What is the story of Helmut Kohl?
Hungry boy who receives free soup from the back of a lorry in his schoolyard from smaller-scale marshall aid. He grew up to be the first Chancellor of a reunited Germany after the cold war
Why didn’t Stalin like Truman’s new policies to contain communism?
He believed the USA were trying to extend their influence into Europe
Thought it was undermining UN by suggesting it was ‘America’s job to protect the world’
What did Stalin argue the Marshall plan was?
A way of using economic might to divide Europe in two and establish an American economic empire in Europe. Soviets called this ‘dollar imperialism’
How did the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan have a huge impact on international relations from 1947?
. Grand alliance gone as USA directly opposing communist Soviet Union
. Stalin’s suspicions of West reinforced
. Marshall countries successfully tied Western European counteies into supporting USA. Stalin rejected this sp Europe split into two economic and political camps
When was cominform created?
22nd September 1947
What was Cominform?
Nine members of different parties around Soviet Europe set up a political organisation
Where did the strongest support for Cominform initially come from?
Yugoslav communists under the leadership of Tito, so the headquarters was in Belgrade
Why was headquarters of Cominform moved to Bucharest in Romania?
Growinf tension between Yugoslavia and Soviet Union led to expulsion of Yugoslavia from Cominform in June 1948
What did Cominform give Stalin?
A way of directing and controlling the governments of the satellite states
What did Stalin want to ensure the countries in cominform did?
They followed communism and took orders from moscow
Who were Satellite states encouraged to work with?
Only cominform members
What did Cominform’s first meeting do?
Rejected Marshall Plan
What did Cominform begin to spread praganda for?
That America was no different to Nazi Germany
When was Comecon created?
1949
What was Comecon?
Copy of Marshall plan - provided aid in line with communist principles
What was Comecon originally?
For arranging trade and credit arrangement between members
What was Comecon used for after 1953?
To organise industrial planning across all satellite states
Each state had a 5-year plan, nationalised industry and collectivised agriculture
Trade with USA and Western Europe was discouraged
How much did Bulgaria’s trade with other Comecon members increase from 1930s to 1951?
from 10% in 1930s to 90% in 1951
Why did Stalin form Cominform and Comecon?
In response to the threat he believed the Marshall Plan posed to the Soviet Union
What did Cominform and Comecon do to tensions?
Increased them
What did Stalin’s actions in Cominform and Comecon play a large role in?
The USA and Western European countries creating military alliance NATO in April 1949
