What was the What was the Marshall Plan? Marshall Plan? (also (also

known as Marshall Aid)known as Marshall Aid)

Your taskYour task

Read your textbooks (p.48-9) and try Read your textbooks (p.48-9) and try to answer these questions:to answer these questions:

Why did the US see the need for Why did the US see the need for Marshall Aid?Marshall Aid?

What were its main aims?What were its main aims? How successful was Marshall Aid?How successful was Marshall Aid?

Origins of Marshall PlanOrigins of Marshall Plan General George Marshall, General George Marshall,

American Secretary of American Secretary of StateState

Assessment of Europe’s Assessment of Europe’s economic needseconomic needs

Europe owed US, $11.5 Europe owed US, $11.5 billionbillion

Shortages of goods & fuelShortages of goods & fuel Rationing, e.g. Britain, Rationing, e.g. Britain,

1947 power cuts1947 power cuts Churchill, ‘a rubble heap, Churchill, ‘a rubble heap,

a breeding ground of hate’a breeding ground of hate’General George Marshall,

uncompromising US Sec. of State

Aims of the Marshall Aims of the Marshall PlanPlan

Stop spread of Stop spread of CommunismCommunism

Help economies of Help economies of Europe recoverEurope recover

Provide a market Provide a market for American for American goodsgoods

$17 billion rebuild $17 billion rebuild European European prosperityprosperity

Illustration for a booklet by Jo Spier (1900-1978), a Dutch, Jewish

artist and writer who had been imprisoned in a German

concentration camp during World War II and who emigrated to the

U.S. in 1951.

How successful How successful was thewas the Plan?Plan?

$12-13 billion $12-13 billion dollars poured into dollars poured into EuropeEurope

16 European states 16 European states accepted aid (all accepted aid (all non-Communist)non-Communist)

Stalin banned Stalin banned Marshall Aid for Marshall Aid for USSR and banned USSR and banned satellite states from satellite states from accepting itaccepting it

Why would Stalin want to ban Marshall Aid?

How successful was the How successful was the Marshall Plan?Marshall Plan?

Rejected by Stalin as Rejected by Stalin as ‘‘dollar imperialisationdollar imperialisation’’

Unacceptable to Soviet Unacceptable to Soviet pridepride

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia considered plan, but considered plan, but elections fixed & foreign elections fixed & foreign minister killedminister killed

Yugoslavia 1948, Tito Yugoslavia 1948, Tito expelledexpelled

Warsaw 1947, Warsaw 1947, Communist Information Communist Information Bureau (Cominform) Bureau (Cominform) created to protect created to protect communist states from communist states from US ‘aggression’US ‘aggression’

President Tito of Yugoslavia – a loose canon

Your taskYour task

How far do you feel each side was to How far do you feel each side was to blame for the increasing tension in the blame for the increasing tension in the Cold War immediately after WWII? Decide Cold War immediately after WWII? Decide where you would put the USA & USSR on where you would put the USA & USSR on the scale below. State your reasons why.the scale below. State your reasons why.

Mostly to

blame

Not to blame

You are going to hold a debate over You are going to hold a debate over the issue who was to blame for the issue who was to blame for increasing tensions during the early increasing tensions during the early stages of the Cold War? One side stages of the Cold War? One side will argue the case that it was the will argue the case that it was the USSR the other that it was the USSR the other that it was the Americans?Americans?

US blameUS blame

Support for anti-Communists during Support for anti-Communists during Civil WarCivil War

Anti-Communist stance of TrumanAnti-Communist stance of Truman Development of atomic bombDevelopment of atomic bomb Iron curtain speechIron curtain speech Truman Doctrine & Marshall AidTruman Doctrine & Marshall Aid Ideological differences (US capitalist Ideological differences (US capitalist

democracy)democracy)

USSR blameUSSR blame

Historic tensions, e.g. Hitler Stalin Historic tensions, e.g. Hitler Stalin pact, 1939pact, 1939

Soviet expansion into Eastern Europe Soviet expansion into Eastern Europe & setting up of Communist & setting up of Communist governmentsgovernments

Rejection of Marshall AidRejection of Marshall Aid Formation of CominformFormation of Cominform Red army, development of own Red army, development of own

nuclear weaponsnuclear weapons

Your taskYour task

Work in pairs. Prepare two Work in pairs. Prepare two statements. One which Truman statements. One which Truman could give to Congress explaining could give to Congress explaining why he is supporting the Marshall why he is supporting the Marshall Plan and one from Stalin to the Plan and one from Stalin to the PolitburoPolitburo condemning the Plan and condemning the Plan and outlining his response to it.outlining his response to it.

Compare the differences in Compare the differences in interpretation in your two speechesinterpretation in your two speeches

Extra helpExtra help

You might want to consider the You might want to consider the following pointsfollowing points The background to the Marshall Plan The background to the Marshall Plan

(Greece & fear of Communist take-over)(Greece & fear of Communist take-over) Marshall’s assessment of Europe’s needsMarshall’s assessment of Europe’s needs The public & hidden agenda (economic & The public & hidden agenda (economic &

political support)political support) The growing tensions during the Cold War The growing tensions during the Cold War

(spread of Communism, arms race, Iron (spread of Communism, arms race, Iron Curtain speech)Curtain speech)