Extended Writing: Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan:
a. The USA wanted to change her policy to isolationism, she believed that the
United Nations Organisation (UNO) could keep peace in Europe, therefore the
USA demobilised her forces from 12 million to 1,5 million, however the USSR
did not. The Red Army was stationed in Europe and communistic
governments were being set up. During World War 2, the Greek communists
had defeated the Nazis in Greece and this led to more Greek communistic
support. The Greek Communists wanted to overthrow the Greek Government,
and this led to a civil war between the Greek communist insurgence and the
Greek Democratic Government. The Greek Government first asked Britain to
help defeat the communists however Britain denied, therefore the Greeks
went to the USA for help. The USA agreed as she believed that it was
Americas policy to support free people resisting defeat by armed minorities
threatening totalitarian regimes. The USA also believed in the Domino Theory
and believed that if Greece was to fall to communism the countries
surrounding her such as Turkey would also fall to communism. Since the
European countries during the war had lost many resources that had led to
poverty and economic instability this could give rise to communistic support
and the USA wanted to prevent this from happening. Therefore, president
Harry Truman gave the senate a speech called “The Truman Doctrine” that
stated that America had to help Europe. This was the change to Americas
new foreign policy, containment.
b. The Marshall Plan was the Truman Doctrine in action. It was a European
Recovery Plan financed by the USA and it provided financial Aid to countries
that had suffered during the war. The Marshall Plan was the economic part of
Containment as it would bring economic stability to Europe which would lead
to political stability. The Marshall Plan was not limited to non-communistic
countries, it was offered to the USSR, but the USSR had denied it. Any
Country could join the Marshall Plan and the countries under it had to allow
the USA to invest and trade with them. The Marshall Plan economically aided
16 countries, costing 17 million US dollars.
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