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• 1947:

  • economic crisis across Western EU
  • food shortages and rationing
  • discontent in Italy and France → growing support for communism
• Greece:

  • seemed to be under threat from communism post-WWII
  • British was unable to support Greece
  • 1947 - under attack from Communist rebels and asked US for help
  • Truman offered money and weapons to fight communism
• Truman Doctrine: (basically containment)

  • did not want to return the US to isolationism
  • policy was to ‘contain’ communism and prevent its spread
  • Truman offered support to anyone fighting communism
• Effect of Truman Doctrine:

  • communism defeated in Greece and Turkey
  • eventually expanded from EU and ME to Korea and Vietnam
• Marshall Plan: (European Recovery Program)

  • Truman believed communism grew under poverty and harsh conditions
  • belief that communism would be stopped if Western EU became welathy
  • General George Marshall (American Secretary of State) organised Economic Aid
• Effect of Marshall Plan:

  • money made available to European countries that made an acceptable application
  • money was tied obligation to remain free from communism
  • was a step towards a dividied Germany
  • delivered $13,000 million over 4 years
  • very successful in rebuilding Western Europe
  • benefitted the USA by creathing wealthy trade partners
  • officially ended in 1952