Post-War Europe

Communism

“a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed”

Communism is JUST a form of economy but it is usually associated with authoritarian political regimes

Truman Doctrine“ Stalin is not that kind of man. . . He doesn't want anything but security for his country, and I think that if I give him everything I possibly can, and ask nothing from him in return, noblesse oblige, he won't try to annex anything and will work with me for a world of democracy and peace. ”

—Franklin Roosevelt

President Truman was much more suspicious of Soviet intentions under Stalin

Truman supported a plan of containment (this was first espoused in the Truman Doctrine)

Containment = Prevent expansion of communismDo NOT “roll back” or end communism where it

already existsFirst exercised in Greece & Turkey

Truman Doctrine“ Stalin is not that kind of man. . . He doesn't want anything but security for his country, and I think that if I give him everything I possibly can, and ask nothing from him in return, noblesse oblige, he won't try to annex anything and will work with me for a world of democracy and peace. ”

—Franklin Roosevelt

President Truman was much more suspicious of Soviet intentions under Stalin

Truman supported a plan of containmentPrevent expansion of communism

First exercised in Greece & Turkey$$$ & military aid

Iron Curtain“ From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an

"iron curtain" has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague,

Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia; all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject, in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and in some cases increasing measure of

control from Moscow. ”-Winston Churchill, March 1946

Marshall Plan (1947-1951)US plan to help rebuild & create stronger economic foundations for Europe

Offered to USSR – they declined Gave $13B

Major goal - link Germany with western Europe

Help prevent spread of communism

Berlin AirliftFirst major conflict of Cold War

Soviets wanted the west out of Berlin

Berlin AirliftFirst major conflict of Cold War

Soviets wanted the west out of BerlinCut off travel & prohibited supplies into West Berlin

Allies supplied Berlin entirely by air, delivering:646 tons of flour & wheat, 125 tons of cereal, 64 tons of fat, 109 tons of meat & fish, 180 tons of dehydrated potatoes, 180 tons of sugar, 11 tons of coffee, 19 tons of powdered milk, 5 tons of whole milk, 3 tons of fresh yeast, 144 tons of dehydrated vegetables, 38 tons of salt & 10 tons of cheese3,475 tons of coal and gasoline

This was per day!24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949

At height: 1 plane reached Berlin every thirty seconds

Berlin Airlift-- Learn 360