marshall plan and truman doctrine Flashcards
(14 cards)
The Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan
TRIGGERS FOR CONTAINMENT: Iranian crises. Conflict of Turkey, where the USSR demanded power over the Black Sea straits controlled by Turkey and was seen as expansionist by the USSR. The Greek Civil war had deep divisions within the country (between the communists and the capitalists), Americans were alarmed by the prospect of Soviet Influence on the doorstep of the Middle East, especially after the British government stated they could not remain aiding anti communist efforts.
THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE:
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The Truman Doctrine was announced on the 12th of March 1947 to congress.
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It offered $400 million to protect Turkey and Greece against Soviet aggression. With British support withdrawn. The US would not shoulder the burden of containing communism.
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Speech was also a broad warning to the Soviets that America would protect the right of a nation’s self-determination- with force if necessary.
THE MARSHALL PLAN:
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When secretary of state George Marshall addressed the crowd at Harvard University on 5th of June 1947, he urgently impressed upon Americans the grave situation in Europe and detailed the destruction of infrastructure, economies and confidence.
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Marshall understood that without a plan for economic recovery, communism could become attractive politically, or the West would be forced to make trade deals with the USSR in order to meet their basic needs. In response, he created the Marshall plan.
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The plan injected $1.5 billion worth of grants providing the means of European infrastructure.
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Many European leaders were suspicious of open, free trade capitalism. However, many were faced with little choice but to accept the US grants.
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The Marshall plan also touched on the fundamental disagreement between the Americans and the Soviets- the future of Germany. This was a sore points that would flare up with the Berlin Blockade.
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Although the money was mostly targeted at Western Europe, it was also offered to the Eastern counties and the soviets. The offer was famously dismissed by Soviet foreign minister Molotov as ‘dollar imperialism’. In response, the Soviets created Comecon, an organisation that would coordinate trade cooperation amongst Eastern European countries.
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The Truman Doctrine and Marshall plan were central planks in the plan to contain communism in the early Cold War.
