The Importance of the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan in the Development of the Cold War

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x20-11-12 | Rosa Mulloy

Assess the importance of the Truman Doctrine and Mashall Plan to the development of the Cold War.

The introduction of the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan were an important turning point in the path of the Cold War. It made a smooth solution to Stalin and Truman's aversions towards each other impossible, as the two powers could no longer compromise.

The Soviets refused to take the Marshall Aid, a relief to the Americans, because they thought it was an attempt to make Europe dependent on the Dollar and in this way expand their empire. In response to this they created their own solution to the economic problems by introducing cominform to Russia and all of its satellite states. This created an economic divide between the Eastern and the Western European states, between Communist controlled and Capitalist countries and it represented the physical division of the iron curtain Churchill had described in his 1946 speech. This 'real', geographical divide between the two powers was also something that was encouraged by the public. Anti-Soviet and Anti-American cartoons were regularly printed in newspapers, promoting this division of cultures and policies.

Another thing that furthered the Cold War was that the Americans were economically benefiting greatly from the Marshall Plan, as they also had from the Second World War. This angered the USSR because their own economic situations was not very stable and they had to work extremely hard to rebuild their destroyed country. The USA on the other hand, was increasing it's production, as well as their exports, and hence improving their industry. So as the USA prospered in the desperate situation, Stalin grew more frustrated as he was not profiting in the same way and there was more antipathy between the two states.

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The Capitalist American policy was containment. It was built on Kennan's long telegram which stated that the USSR would implode with time, if left to itself, due to it's corrupt nature. So the USA waited and did anything in their power to stop it from spreading into the Western European states. Kennan had also observed that it was more likely for countries to turn to radical left policies in situations of hunger and need. The fact that there was already proof in Europe to support this theory was one of the deciding points for Truman to set the Marshall Plan ...

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