4. US Containment

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US and USSTR power stats

Soviet Union’s army was not distributed across Eastern Europe

USA owned half the world’s welath

Greece and Turkey

Left wing movements threatened the gov there leaving nations vulnerable to Soviet influence. UK was well practiced in intervening in this area but could not due to lack of resources from WW2

When was the Truman Doctrine

1947

overview Turman Doctrine

The US would now support ‘free peoples’ against inside/outside threat of subversion from left wing extreme movements

Origins of containment

The USSR was now being regarded as a threat, Deach Anderson suggested it should be contained and not destroyed. Alliance between the US and all other major powers would mean the USSR could never make an alliance that would be a real threat

How did the US plan to end the USSR

Marxism-Leninism was viewed as economically broken and would not last. Denying the USSR the ability to expand would remove the moral justifications that citizens had to continue living in such poor conditions

3 policies of containment

1. Marshall Plan

2. Berlin

3. NATO

Marshall Plan overview

the US would establish aid programmes for nations devastated by WW1. They had to produce plans to integrate with the world economy. ‘No strings attached’

• outcomes of Marshall Aid for US`

created a good image of the US, prevented destitution that tended to push citizens to extreme left solutions, established a reliable market, embarrassed the USSR who prevented E. European nations from accepting aid

Berlin background

West (UK, France, US) flourished whilst the East (UUSR) was destitute. Berlin Blockade aimed to starve WB forcing them to join EB

US response to Berlin Blockade

US and UK show willingness to save German lives endearing them to Germany. Stalin does not shoot Western aircraft down due to US atomic capability

NATO overview

Formal military alliance in which an attack on one member = an attack on all. NW. Europe, US and Canada. Created a buffer between USSR and Europe

Success of US foreign policy

Was not expensive or intrusive, global support for US increased, USSR left embarrassed