Post on 24-Feb-2016
description
transcript
“Seldom, if ever, has a war ended leaving the victors with such a sense of uncertainty and fear, with such a realization that the
future is obscure and survival is not assured.” Edward R. Murrow
Russia in Eastern Europe
• Agreements for democracy broken • Americans: elections in Italy – popular
communist party • Soviets: Eastern European • Influence Agreements
Potsdam Conference• Churchill, Stalin and Truman
meet July 1945• Failed to resolve problems • Stalin
– German reparations – Stay in Eastern Europe
• Truman emboldened by atomic test– Stalin in Eastern Europe
unacceptable– Proposed smaller reparations – Keep Russia reliant on US
The Long TelegramIron Curtain• Soviet analyst George F. Kennan• Stalin won’t Negotiation• Stalin respected
strength/threats• US needed to be destroyed • IRON CURTAIN• Winston Churchill - Westminster
College, Fulton Missouri
Atomic Monopoly and the UN
• US to share atomic energy• Give up atomic weapons in
stages• UN consent
– Countries submit to inspection – US rep. to UN proposed
punishments for violators• Soviets rejected proposal rush
to build bomb– Suggest US disarmament total
disclosure of Secrets
The Truman Doctrine• 1947: Britain supports Greece -
Civil War against communist guerillas
• Congress opposed, Truman roused Citizens support, outlined the Truman doctrine – Aid to free people resisting armed
minorities, outsiders– $400 million, economic/military
help Greece and Turkey– Condemned communism
Domino Theory
• US sided with dictators Greece and Turkey• “Domino Theory,” If one nation falls to
communism then its neighbors will surely be next• Containment policy must prop up those
“Dominos” from falling
European Economic RecoveryThe Marshall Plan
• European recovery slow• Important to revitalize economy
– Encourage sale of US goods – Alleviate suffering of European
peoples, diminish support of communists
• Marshall Plan / European Recovery Act • George C. Marshall’s plan - massive
economic aid assistance • 16 Nations, $17 billion • “Our policy is directed not against any
country or doctrine, but against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos.”
Czechoslovakian Coup• Republicans: communist threat a
mere struggle over ideas • Then communist seize power in
Czechoslovakia• US public shocked • Confirmed fears of a soviet
aggression / internal subversion• Truman warned US on verge of
war • Soviets “destroyed the
independence and democratic character of a whole series of nations” Stalin and Klement Gottwald
• Germany and Berlin split 4 occupied zones • US/Soviets argue about German reparations, not
yet signed peace treaty• US/Britain to merge 2 occupational zones
Berlin Blockade• June 1948: Soviets close off
occupational zone • Truman:
– Give up Berlin to Soviets, undermine doctrine of containment
– Negotiations allow USSR to engineer crisis to exact concessions
• Truman ordered a massive airlift of supplies
• 11 months - 4000 tons daily - 250,000-supply missions
• Colonel Gail S. Halvorsen ”Candy Bomber”