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Opinion:Churchill’s Fulton speech did not cause the Cold War, but he was the first person to stop pretending to be friends with Russia. Thus, Churchill's speech was the start of the Cold War; after it, America and Russia got into a number of conflicts.
Greece and TurkeyBy 1946, Greece and Czechoslovakia were the only countries in eastern Europe that weren’t Communist. Even in Greece, the government, which was being supported by British soldiers, was having to fight a civil war against the Communists. In February 1947, the British told Truman they could no longer afford to keep their soldiers in Greece. President Truman stepped in. The USA paid for the British soldiers in Greece. Truman noted that Turkey too was in danger from Soviet aggression, so Congress voted to give aid to Turkey as well. Part of the money was given in economic and humanitarian aid, but most was spent on military supplies and weapons.
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Going DeeperThe following links will help you widen your knowledge: Interview with Paul H Nitze, who at the time was director of the US Strategic about the Truman Doctrine
Source AEvery nation must choose between different ways of life ... We must help free peoples to work out their own destiny in their own way. President Truman, speaking in March 1947.
Source BThis ‘American duty’ is just a smokescreen for a plan of expansion ... They try to take control of Greece by shouting about ‘totalitarianism’. The Russian newspaper Izvestia, March 1947.
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Truman DoctrineIn the 1930s, America had kept out of Europe’s business. Now, on 12 March 1947, Truman told Americans that it was America’s DUTY to interfere (Source A). His policy towards the Soviet Union was one of ‘containment’ – he did not try to destroy the USSR, but he wanted to stop it growing any more. This was called the ‘Truman Doctrine’. |
Did You Know?In 1995 the American historian Frank Kofsky suggested that Truman unnecessarily whipped up a 'War Scare' in 1948 so he could plough money into the military-industrial complex ... when he could have been spending it on domestic programs like education, welfare, civil rights, and construction of highways, dams and parks. |
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Source CThis Russian cartoon shows the Greek government being ‘helped’ by Uncle Sam (symbolising America). Notice the $ sign on the gun. Click here for the interpretation
◄ Source DThis illustration - from a comic book,The Story of Harry S Truman - gives an idealised picture of how Americans imagined the Truman Doctrine 'helping free peoples'. It was produced for the 1948 elections and a banner beneath said: "Remember November". |
The Marshall PlanIn Spring 1947, the American general George Marshall went to Europe. On his return he gave a speech revealing that every country in Europe was so poor that it was in danger of turning Communist! Europe was ‘a breeding ground of hate’. He said that America should give $17 billion of aid to get Europe’s economy going and stop Communism. Marshall said that it was up to the countries of Europe to decide what they needed. In July 1947, led by Britain and France, the countries of western Europe met in Paris, and asked for substantial economic aid.
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Source EThe ruling gang of American imperialists has taken the path of open expansion, of enslaving weakened capitalist countries. It has hatched new war plans against the Soviet Union. Imitating Hitler, the new aggressors are using blackmail. GM Malenkov, a Soviet politician, speaking in 1947 about the Marshall Plan. Andrei Zhdanov echoed this opinion.
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CominformThe Soviet Union hated Marshall aid (see Source D). Stalin forbade Communist countries to ask for money. Instead, in October 1947, he set up Cominform. Every Communist party in Europe joined. This allowed Stalin control of the Communists in Europe. Then, in January 1949, Stalin created Comecon - an economic union of the Communist countries in eastern Europe. This allowed Stalin to control the Iron Curtain economies for the benefit of Russia - for instance, one of its rules was that all inventions had to be shared. Source F ►'Can he block it?' Click here for the interpretation
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CzechoslovakiaAt first, the American Congress did not want to give the money for Marshall Aid. But then, in February 1948, the Communists took power in Czechoslovakia, followed on 10 March by the suspicious suicide of the popular minister Jan Masaryk. Congress was scared, and voted for Marshall Aid on 31 March 1948. Source G ►This cartoon of 18 June 1947 by EH Shepard for
the British magazine Punch shows Truman and Stalin as
Click here for the interpretation
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The Americans and the Russians interpreted the Marshall Plan differently, as these cartoons show! |
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Source HThis cartoon of 1 October 1947 by EH Shepard for the British magazine Punch shows Marshall (on the left) telling 'Uncle Sam' - i.e. the American nation - that American Aid is needed to shore up the countries of western Europe: 'Come on Sam! It's up to us again.' Click here for the interpretation
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Source IThe cartoon, which was published in Czechoslovakia in
1949, was drawn by the team of Russian artists: 'Kukriniksy'. Click here for the interpretation |
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Consider:1. Find all the dates in bold in the text and organise the events into a list in chronological order. a. Consider Sources A and D. Talk about the events in your list – as though you were an American. b. Now consider Sources B, C and E. Describe the same events – as though you were a Russian Communist. 2. Why did the Marshall Plan make the Russians so angry? 3. Did the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan cause the Cold War? 4. What was the first event of the Cold War? 5. Work out an argument that the creation of Cominform was the first event of the Cold War.
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Extra:So - looking at the whole question - overall...
Who do YOU think was to blame for the Cold War? on Mr Clare's History Blog - Who was to blame for the Cold War?
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