the cold war: actions and reactions

The Cold WarActionary/Reactionary Behaviours

The Marshall Plan: Action

5 June 1947: US introduces the “Marshall Plan”, named for Secretary of State George Marshall◦Offered financial aid to help all European countries

rebuild after the war

The Marshall Plan

Rationale was that if the economies of these countries were healthy, then there would be no threat of communist growth

The Marshall Plan

In the end, many countries in Western Europe accepted the money◦Between 1948 and

1952, over $13 billion went to these countries

The Molotov Plan: Reaction

1947: As a reaction to the Marshall Plan, the Soviets introduced the “Molotov Plan”◦ Named for Soviet

Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov

The Molotov Plan

The plan was based on free trade among Eastern bloc countries◦ Available only to

Eastern bloc countries Poland, Hungary, and Romania

◦ Soviet intimidation forced these countries to accept this plan over the Marshall Plan

Results

1. Western European countries grow prosperous with US dollars

2. Eastern European countries fail to prosper and come under greater Soviet control

Berlin Blockade: Action

24 June 1948: Berlin Blockade◦ Related to the post-war

division of Germany and Berlin that resulted from decisions made at Potsdam and Yalta

Berlin Blockade

As relations between the US and USSR continued to deteriorate the likelihood of a permanent solution to this temporary measure became highly unlikely

Berlin Blockade

When the Allies decided to merge their 3 zones into a single unit, the Soviets felt threatened and reacted by blocking all road and rail links into West Berlin◦ (West Berlin was within

the Soviet zone)

Berlin Airlift: Reaction

28 June 1948: US reacts against the blockade by beginning “Operation Vittles”- the Berlin Airlift◦ Lasted 11 months

Berlin Airlift

Western powers staged a massive airlift of supplies from Western Germany into West Berlin◦ Food, fuel, clothes, and

medicine are flown to West Berlin

◦ Stalin eventually gives in and ends the blockade

Results

Permanent division of Germany◦ May 1949: The 3

occupation zones of the Western powers become the German Federal Republic with the capital in Bonn

◦ Oct. 1949: Soviet zone becomes the German Democratic Republic with the capital in East Berlin

◦ Remains divided until 1990

Berlin Airlift

NATO: Action

4 April 1949: US action to counter the “perceived” military threat from the Soviet bloc countries◦ Sent a message to the

USSR that the West was prepared to meet Soviet expansion with resistance

12 original NATO members:◦ US, Canada, UK, France,

Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Luxembourg

◦ 1955: West Germany

NATO

Significant because upon accepting the leadership of this organization, the US must then re-arm these countries◦ It is also the first time

that the US joined a military alliance during peacetime

Warsaw Pact: Reaction

1 May 1955: Soviets react to NATO by signing the Warsaw Pact◦Held in Warsaw,

Poland◦8 countries in

attendance◦IMPORTANT NOTE:

Nikita Khrushchev has become leader of USSR (1953)

Attending countries: USSR, Bulgaria, East Germany, Romania, Albania, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Hungary

Warsaw Pact

Its stated purpose was to assist one another in the event of another attack (from NATO)◦Unified military

command based in Moscow

Results

29 Aug. 1949: The Soviets successfully detonate their first atomic bomb◦ Truman responds by

ordering the development of the hydrogen bomb

◦ Beginning of the Nuclear Arms Race