The reaction of the USA
T h e Western powers were a l a r m e d by S t a l i n ' s t a k e - o v e r o f eastern E u r o p e . Roosevelt. C h u r c h i l l a n d
t h e i r successors h a d accepted that Sov iet s e c u r i t y needed f r i e n d l y g o v e r n m e n t s i n eastern E u r o p e .
T h e y h a d agreed that eastern Kurope w o u l d he a Soviet 'sphere o f i n f l u e n c e ' a n d t h a t S t a l i n w o u l d
h e a v i l y i n f l u e n c e t h i s r e g i o n . However, they h a d not expected s u c h c o m p l e t e C o m m u n i s t d o m i n a t i o n .
T h e y felt it s h o u l d h a w been possible to have g o v e r n m e n t s i n eastern E u r o p e t h a i were b o t h
Do Sources 28 and 29 have the same
d e m o c r a t i c a n d f r i e n d l y lo the USSR. S l a l i n saw his p o l i c v i n eastern E u r o p e as m a k i n g h i m s e l f
message?
secure, but T r u m a n c o u l d o n l y see the spread o f C o m m u n i s m .
A French cartoon c o m m e n t i n g on Stalin's take-over of eastern
Europe. The dancing figure is Stalin.
An American c a r t o o n c o m m e n t i n g on Stalin's take-over c
eastern Europe. The bear r e p r e s e n t s the USSR
(
My 1 K N . (ireece a n d Czechoslovakia were the o n l \ eastern E u r o p e a n c o u n t r i e s not c o n t r o l l e d b\
C o m m u n i s t g o v e r n m e n t s . Ii seemed to the A m e r i c a n s t h a i not o n l y (ireece a n d C z e c h o s l o v a k i a but
even I t a l v a n d France were v u l n e r a b l e to C o m m u n i s t t a k e o v e r . Events i n t w o ol these c o u n t r i e s were
to have a decisive effect o n A m e r i c a ' s p o l i c y t o w a r d s K u r o p e .
Greece
W h e n the ( i e r m a n s retreated f r o m (ireece i n 19-H. there were t w o r i v a l g r o u p s
the C o m m u n i s t s
the m o n a r c h i s t s ant
w h o w a u l e d to r u l e the c o u n t r y . Moth h a d been i n v o l v e d i n resistance against the
Nazis. T h e C o m m u n i s t s w a n t e d (ireece to be a Soviet r e p u b l i c . T h e m o n a r c h i s t s w a u l e d the r e t u r n ol
the k i n g o f (ireece. C h u r c h i l l sent B r i t i s h t r o o p s to (ireece i n 1945 supposedly to h e l p restore o r d e r
a n d supervise free elections. In fact, the B r i t i s h s u p p o r t e d the m o n a r c h i s t s a n d the k i n g was r e t u r n e d
to power.
In 194b, the USSR protestejl to the U n i t e d N a t i o n s t h a t B r i t i s h troops were a threat to peace i n
L o o k at S o u r c e s 28 and 2 9 . D e s i p n oi
d e s c r i b e a Soviet c a r t o o n o r poster
c o m m e n t i n g o n the U S S R ' s actions. It could
either:
attack the attitudes of t h e W e s t , or
justify and explain Soviet actions.
(ireece. T h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s t o o k n o a c t i o n a n d so the C o m m u n i s t s tried to take c o n t r o l of (ireece by
force. A c i v i l w a r q u i c k l y developed. T h e B r i t i s h c o u l d n o t a f f o r d the cost o f s u c h a w a r a n d
a n n o u n c e d o n 24 F e b r u a r y 1947 t h a t they were w i t h d r a w i n g t h e i r troops. T r u m a n stepped i n . P a i d foi
by the A m e r i c a n s , s o m e B r i t i s h troops stayed i n (ireece. T h e y t r i e d to p r o p u p t h e k i n g ' s g o v e r n m e n t .
By 1950 t h e royalists were i n c o n t r o l o f (ireece, a l t h o u g h they were a very w e a k g o v e r n m e n t , always i'
crisis.
JURCE
The Truman Doctrine
30
r 'Here that it must be the policy of the
A m e r i c a n i n t e r v e n t i o n i n (ireece m a r k e d a new e r a i n the USA's a t t i t u d e to w o r l d p o l i t i c s , w h i c h
".led States to support free peoples who are
b e c a m e k n o w n as the T r u m a n D o c t r i n e ' .
:sling attempted subjugation
by armed
I i n d e r the T r u m a n D o c t r i n e , the I ISA was p r e p a r e d to send m o n e y , e q u i p m e n t a n d advice to a n y
> unities or by outside pressures. .. The
c o u n t r y w h i c h was, i n t h e A m e r i c a n view, t h r e a t e n e d by a C o m m u n i s t take-over. T r u m a n accepted
i'peoples of (he worid took to us for
t h a t eastern K u r o p e w a s ^ i o w C o m m u n i s t . His a i m was to stop C o m m u n i s m f r o m s p r e a d i n g any
port in maintaining
f u r t h e r . T h i s p o l i c y b e c a m e k n o w n as c o n t a i n m e n t .
those freedoms,
v falter in our leadership, ire may
O t h e r s t h o u g h t c o n t a i n m e n t s h o u l d m e a n s o m e t h i n g f i r m e r . T h e y said that it m u s t be m a d e c l e a r
to the Soviet I ' m o n t h a t e x p a n s i o n b e y o n d a given l i m i t w o u l d be m e t w i t h m i l i t a r y force.
: lunger the peace of the irorld.
President Truman speaking on
12 March 1 9 4 7 , explaining his decision
to help Greece.
The Marshall Plan
T r u m a n believed t h a t C o m m u n i s m succeeded w h e n people faced poverty a n d h a r d s h i p . He sent the
A m e r i c a n G e n e r a l George M a r s h a l l to assess the e c o n o m i c state o f K u r o p e . \\ hat he f o u n d was a
r u i n e d e c o n o m y T h e c o u n t r i e s of K u r o p e o w e d $ 11 .S b i l l i o n to the I 'SA. T h e r e were e x t r e m e
shortages o f a l l goods. Most c o u n t r i e s were s l i l l r a t i o n i n g b r e a d . T h e r e was s u c h a coal s h o r t a g e i n
(
the h a r d w i n t e r of l M 7 t h a t i n B r i t a i n all e l e c t r i c i t y was t u r n e d o f f f o r a p e r i o d e a c h day. C h u r c h i l l
1
ike a poster summarising tin
- >ctrine in S O U K e M). In< ludi
11 iman
j
described K u r o | x as a r u b b l e h e a p , a b r e e d i n g g r o u n d o f h a t e ' .
sh. >it
iution.
SOURCE
31
Refugees
Homeless people
shortage of food
and clothing
I of rebuilding
•aged homes
image caused by
,or to infrastructure
o a d s , bridges, etc.)
hortage of fuel
Debts from cost ol war effort
Problems in post-war Europe.
M a r s h a l l suggested t h a t a b o u t S I
7
b i l l i o n w o u l d be needed to r e b u i l d Europe's prosperity. O u r
p o l i c y ' , he s a i d , is d i r e c t e d a g a i n s t h u n g e r , poverty, d e s p e r a t i o n a n d c h a o s . '
l
In D e c e m b e r l M 7 , T r u m a n put his p l a n to Congress, f o r a short t i m e , the A m e r i c a n Congress
refused to g r a n t this m o n e y . M a n y A m e r i c a n s were b e c o m i n g c o n c e r n e d by T r u m a n ' s i n v o l v e m e n t i n
f o r e i g n a l l a i r s Besides, $ 17 b i l l i o n was a lot of m o n e v !
Czechoslovakia
A m e r i c a n s ' a l t i t u d e c h a n g e d w h e n the C o m m u n i s t s t o o k over the g o v e r n m e n t o f C z e c h o s l o v a k i a .
Which of the problems shown in Source 31
C z e c h o s l o v a k i a h a d been r u l e d by a c o a l i t i o n g o v e r n m e n t w h i c h , a l t h o u g h it i n c l u d e d C o m m u n i s t s ,
do you think would be the most urgent for
h a d been t r y i n g to p u r s u e policies i n d e p e n d e n t of Moscow. T h e C o m m u n i s t s c a m e d o w n h a r d i n
Marshall Aid to tackle? Explain your choice.
M a r c h l )-t,S. A n t i - S o v i e t leaders were p u r g e d . One p r o - A m e r i c a n Minister, J a n M a s a r v k , was f o u n d
Explain how events in both Greece and
l
dead b e l o w his open w i n d o w . T h e C o m m u n i s t s said he h a d l u m p e d . T h e A m e r i c a n s suspected h e ' d
Czechoslovakia affected American policy in
Europe.
been p u s h e d . I m m e d i a t e l y , Congress accepted the M a r s h a l l E l a n a n d m a d e $\7 b i l l i o n a v a i l a b l e over
a p e r i o d of f o u r years.