the cold war 2
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
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