Cold War

The Cold war was due to opposing ideologies. Both America and USSR want to be the most powerful. Communism was interested in spreading their ideas, for example in Bulgaria, Romania and Poland. America were scared that if one country 'fell' it would spread to America.

Therefore, America believed that the best way to stop its spread was to contain it. If not, it would spread like dominos falling.

Containment was then first mentioned in the Long Telegram.

It had 4 aims:

1) Block further expansion of Soviet control

2) Expose the falsities of Soviet pretension

3) Induce a retraction of the Kremlin's control and influence

4) Foster seeds of destruction in the Societ System.

Truman became President in 1945. Firstly America gave aid to Greece and Turkey in 1947 because they were near the Middle East.

The Truman doctrine aimed to 'support freedom loving people'. They gave $400 million aid and this set the precedent for future American assistance against the USSR. The National Secury Council and Atomic Energy Commision as well as the CIA were set up as a result.

An Arms Race also happened.

The Marshall Plan was proposed in 1947 during what is now the second most important Commencement Address which was a response to the economic chaos following the Second World War.

'Our policy is not directed against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty desperation and chaos'.

For example, Western Europe was aided, Japan was rebuilt.

The first incident of the containment theory and the Marshall plan working was the Berlin Blockade in June 24th 1948.

Berlin had been split up amongst the different allies. However, the Soviet Union had taken the most important section of Berlin. For West Germany to get supplies, they had to come through The East. Growing tensions led to a blockade round Berlin so that getting in and out was impossible. Food, resources and money was impossible.

Truman was determined to stand up to the Soviet Union. He wanted to show this in Berlin so decided to bring aid in via air.

June 28th 1948 saw Operation Plainfire. Airlift lasted 11 months. It was the biggest airlift in history. The blockade ended on the 12th of May 1949. Truman then saw it as a victory and believed that it proved the containment policy had succeeded.

Results

79 British and American pilots were killed

However, providing aid ended the ill-feeling between America and Germany

A divided Germany.

-Western zones-Federal Republic of Germany

-USSR zones-German Democratic Republic.

USA joined NATO in 1949.

China falls to communism in 1949.

USSR get and detonate an atomic bomb, August 29th 1949.