Containment U.S.-Soviet relations continued to worsen between 1946 – 1947 – particularly as Soviet influence increased in Eastern Europe President Truman adopted Containment Policy – aimed at Blocked the expansion of communism/Soviet influence Helped weak countries resist communism via economic development or military support (soldiers) Tied in directly with the Truman Doctrine – Truman’s stance on helping weaker nations stand against the Soviet Union’s influence There was some criticism – Many Americans were against getting involved with other countries’ affairs/did not want to go on a global crusade against a metaphysical enemy

Economic Issues Much of Western Europe lay in ruins after the war The region was also in economic turmoil: jobs and food were scarce In 1947, U.S. Secretary of state George Marshall proposed the United States provide aid to Western Europe after the war – Marshall Plan Plan set aside Plan provided food, machinery, raw materials to help rebuild European infrastructure Also encouraged European countries to relax trade barriers and promoted industrial productivity Congress allotted 12.5 billion dollars for the plan later that year; was spurred further when countries like Czechoslovakia began to prop up Communist regimes one after another Unfortunate because Eastern European countries like Czechoslovakia and Poland wanted to join in the Marshall plan but Stalin ordered all Eastern Europe to refuse Marshall aid First countries to receive aid were Greece and Turkey in the Balkan area – seen as the first line of defense against Communist Eastern Europe

The Cold War Divides the World Truman Doctrine and the Berlin Airlift signal the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union began – A war of ideas by any means short of war Starting 1949, the superpowers used spying, propaganda, diplomacy and the secret operations in their dealings with each other Ex: Glienicke Bridge, where they U.S./Soviet Union exchanged captured spies Gets to the point where U.S., Canada, Western European countries formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for common protection against the U.S.S.R. – any NATO member that is attacked means the entire organization would move against the aggressor Soviet Union saw NATO as a threat and formed the Warsaw Pact – Alliance between U.S.S.R. and Eastern European countries (Poland, Hungary, Romania, etc.) Many of these countries were forced to join – communist regimes were aligned with the Soviets Not all countries joined the alliances though; larger countries such as India and China (which was also Communist) chose to remain neutral

The Threat of Nuclear War The Cold War threatened to destroy the world as the Soviet Union gained nuclear capabilities in 1949 – threatened their usage to gain more political clout Truman authorizes work on developing a stronger weapon than the atomic bomb in 1950 The hydrogen/H-bomb was tested in 1952; thousands of times more powerful than the atomic bomb because atoms combine rather than separate (atomic bomb) Soviets develop their own H-bomb in 1953 – are some allegations that there were Soviet spies that watched the American team develop the H-bomb – funneled the intelligence to Soviet R&R

Threat of Nuclear War (Cont.) Dwight D. Eisenhower, general during WWII, became president in 1953 He appointed anti-Communist John Foster Dulles as his secretary of state He threatened that the U.S. would “retaliate instantly, by means and at places of our own choosing” The Willingness to go to the edge of war is called brinkmanship – needs a reliable source of nuclear weapons and airplanes to deliver them U.S. began to build up its nuclear arsenal and increase its aircraft numbers The Soviet Union responded with its own military buildup, which started an arms race – struggle to have the most weapons – that would last for over four decades