The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan Target: How did American Policy change after 1945? How did this Policy contribute to the Cold War?
Connection – 1945 - Potsdam
What was the Truman Doctrine? • Doctrine – A policy – a method of thinking • Below – Harry Truman – Truman was openly hostile to communism and suspected that the USSR wished to spread communism around the globe. • Events in Poland (1945) and Greece (1947) proved to Truman that the Soviets wanted world domination. • http://prezi.com/b62sbu6c_bzx/origins-of-the-cold-war/
The Domino Theory
The Truman Doctrine – March 1947 • “I believe it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures. • The free peoples of the world look to us for support in maintaining those freedoms. If we falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world”
1) What is Truman suggesting the policy of the USA should be post 1945? How is this different to American policy before 1939? 2) Truman is suggesting INTERVENTION in other countries affairs. What do you understand by the term INTERVENTION?
Greece • The US congress accepted Trumans view and pumped $400 million into Turkey and Greece to prevent them from falling communist. By modernising the countries, it was hoped it would prevent the Communist stepping in. • This had succeeded by 1949. Truman had contained communism from spreading. • The Truman doctrine ended the US policy of Isolationism. It became known as the “policy of containment”. Communism must be contained and not allowed to spread. • Although the Soviet Union were not mentioned in the doctrine, many communists saw this as essentially a declaration of War. Trumans’s doctrine is therefore seen as the beginning of the Cold War. (1947)
The Marhsall Plan • The war had left many countries in ruin in 1945. Communists hoped that these countries would embrace communism as a solution to their poverty. Communist parties became very popular across Eurpean countries in the 1940’s. America decided to pump money into Europe to help them recover from the War. George Marhsall had reported back to the US congress that Europe would need approximately 17 billion or risk falling to Communism. Congress believed this was too much. However‌. In Czechoslovakia, communists killed Jan Masaryk, a minster who supported the West, and took full control of Czecholsovakia. Communism was spereading, so Congress passed the Marshall Plan.
Consequences of Marshall Aid • Marshall Aid rescued Europe from disaster. It was used to build back industries and grow more food. Britain and France received the most. • Stalin refused to allow communist countries in Europe from receiving it. He claimed it was “American Imperialism”; designed to ensure that countries became reliant on America and join them against Communist Russia. • It increased suspicions between the East and West. • Why did they do it? • To prevent the spread of communism and hold it back. • To improve European markets for their own goods in America
Demonstration 1) What American policy did the Truman doctrine end? 2) Why did the US pump money into Greece between 1947 and 1949? 3) What is meant by the “domino theory”? 4) What happened in Czechoslovakia in 1948? What plan did the US put into place to prevent a repeat of this? 5) Why do you think Stalin prevented Communist countries from receiving Marshall Aid? Extension Tasks – Page 77/78 1) You must complete tasks 12-15 in time for next weeks lesson
Review /Evaluate • Look at source K together. • Do you agree with source K about the reasons for the Marshall Plan? Explain your answer.