The USA's response to Soviet Expansion

USA'S RESPONSE TO SOVIET EXPANSION

Truman Doctrine - March 1947Why was it developed? Soviet expansion Truman feared a military base being set up in Turkey (GB need access to the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea allows them access to it) Personal belief Truman was anti-appeasement : he believed that if the USSR hadn't been appeased WW2 would have been avoided or shortened, he didn't think you could appease dictators Advised by both Kennan and Churchill

CHURCHILL'S IRON CURTAIN SPEECH

March 1946- The speech is in Missouri - Truman's hometown - so showed massive support to the US- The 'Iron Curtain' is the ideological divide  - but can be lifted- Need to contain the Iron Curtain 

KENNAN'S LONG TELEGRAM

February 1946- Analysed Soviet foreign policy- The key idea was that Stalin was purely driven by his ideologies as an 'aggressive, expansionist ideologue' who cannot be reasoned with- Suggested the 'patient but firm and vigilant containment of the USSR's expansionist tendencies

EVENTS IN GREECE

- There was a power vacuum in Greece after the Nazis left- The Naughty Document stated that Greece would go to Britain- Greece was in a Civil War between the Monarchists and the Greek Communists- GB had to withdraw the Monarchists because of the failing British economy- Stalin WASN'T supporting the Greek Communists but Truman thought they were- Truman presumed that the communist would win - THIS IS THE TRIGGER TO ANNOUNCE THE          TRUMAN DOCTRINE

ANNOUNCEMENT OF TRUMAN DOCTRINE

MARCH 1947- Truman proposes giving $400 million in economic and military aid to Greece (this received a lot of opposition from Congress)- Language used : 'freedom' 'democracy' : it  taps into key American beliefs / 'terrorists' 'ruthless' : referring to the Soviets

MARSHALL AID

- A plan to provide financial aid (that they don't have to pay back) to war torn countries- Thought up by the US secretary of state, General Marshall- There were conditions: countries had to provide economic records / they had to open their economy to US capitalist markets- Churchill said that is was 'the most unselfish act in history'- Molotov said it was 'further evidence of dollar imperialism'MOTIVATIONS- Political/Ideological: freedom, prosperity, containment (fears of communist expansion - 1.7 million communists in France)- Economic: free market economy means security for US markets therefore security for US economyCONSEQUENCES- USSR left Paris negotiations and pressured countries not to accept the aid- $13.5 billion was given to 16 nations- USSR set up Cominform and Comicon in response- Heightened tensions massively