The Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan

The Truman Doctrine

The Truman Doctrine describes a speech given by the US President, Harry Truman. In the speech, he committed to intervening to help to spread capitalism and limit the spread of communism. this was a policy called ‘containment’.

The 'domino effect'

In 1947, when Truman gave the speech, communist parties, supported by the Soviet Union had control of Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria already had communist governments in 1947.
President Truman was scared that other countries in Eastern Europe and the Middle East would fall to Communism.
Truman was scared of something called a ‘domino effect’. As more nations got communist governments, they would then support communist revolutions in nearby countries funding populist uprisings.

Winston Churchill's 'Iron Curtain' speech

Winston Churchill, no longer Prime Minister, gave a significant speech in March 1946 in Fulton, USA.
He argued that ‘an iron curtain has descended across the continent of Europe’. This iron curtain speech described Russia's behaviour in Eastern Europe.

The Truman Doctrine

The exact contents of the Truman Doctrine said:
- "I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures. I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way."
He committed to giving political, military and financial aid to countries to stop the spread of communism.

The Marshall Plan (Marshall Aid)

The Marshall Plan (also known as Marshall Aid) formalised the economic assistance that Truman described in the Truman Doctrine of 1947.

The Marshall Plan, 1947

The Marshall Plan provided the economic assistance to back up the Truman Doctrine. It was named after George Marshall, the US Secretary of State at the time.
- The USA gave European nations $12.7bn. However, the biggest recipients were Britain and France. Britain received $2.7bn in Marshall Aid. West Germany only received $1.7bn. Turkey received £137 million.
The money was spent to encourage trade with the United States and a Technical Assistance Program was designed to implement improvements aimed at increasing productivity.
Josef Stalin stopped any communist nations supported by the Soviet Union from accepting Marshall Aid.

'Containment'

Through the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan, the USA sought to contain communism through military and economic assistance to primarily Western European countries. This was part of a policy known as ‘containment’.
The Truman Doctrine and the 1947 Marshall Plan increased tensions between the Soviets and the US.

Soviet perspective on the Marshall Plan

The Soviet Union saw both the 1947 Truman Doctrine and the 1947 Marshall Plan as a threat to Eastern Europe.
- The Soviet Politburo (leadership board of the communist party in Russia) viewed the Marshall Plan as an example of America's 'economic imperialism'.

US perspective on the Marshall Plan

On the US side, politicians argued that the Soviets were trying to isolate Eastern Europe from the West by installing communist governments and from banning them from accepting aid.
In reality, given the fact that most of the aid went to Britain and France, this view is challenged.
The USA thought that giving rebuilding, poor nations money would stop people from supporting communism. Demanding equality and redistribution of all wealth was likely to be more attractive to starving & unemployed people than employed and wealthy individuals in a prosperous nation.

Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia was a communist state in South Eastern Europe formed in 1945 after the end of the Second World War.

Tension between Tito and Stalin

The relationship between the communist leader Josip Broz Tito and Russia’s leadership was a point of tension.
Tito broke with the Soviets in 1948.
- It is rumoured that this split happened because of Tito’s plans to absorb Albania and Greece to create a powerful country in Eastern Europe that could rival the USSR.

Yugoslavia and the Marshall Plan

US President Truman looked to take advantage of this in 1951 when he asked Congress to approve economic aid for Yugoslavia.
Tito was still a communist, but at least he was independent, and Truman saw supporting the country as a possible propaganda coup.
- Over $150 million of aid was granted to Yugoslavia under the Marshall Plan.

The outcome

However, this did not mean that Yugoslavia was a puppet for the USA.
- Tito supported the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956 but opposed intervention in Czechoslovakia in 1968.
But accepting US aid did increase the tension between the 2 superpowers.

1Key Topics

1.1Conflict & Cooperation 1918-1939

1.1.1The Treaty of Versailles

1.1.2The Terms of Versailles 1

1.1.3The Terms of Versailles 2

1.1.4Versailles & the League of Nations

1.1.5LoN Successes & Failures

1.1.6LoN Failure - Upper Silesia

1.1.7LoN Failure - Corfu & Washington

1.1.8End of Topic Test - Treaties and Agreements

1.1.9The Great Depression

1.1.10Tension in Europe in the 1930s

1.1.11WWII & Failure of the League of Nations

1.1.12End of Topic Test - Tension in the 1930s

1.1.13Grade 9 - Conflict & Cooperation

1.2The Cold War 1945-c.1989

1.2.1Emerging US-Soviet Rivalry

1.2.2Communism in the 20th Century

1.2.3The Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan

1.2.4East-West Alliances

1.2.5Berlin Crises

1.2.6The End of the Berlin Wall

1.2.7End of Topic Test - East & West

1.2.8Build-up to the Cuban Missile Crisis

1.2.9The Cuban Missile Crisis

1.2.10Cold War Conflict - Vietnam

1.2.11Cold War Conflict - Afghanistan

1.2.12End of Topic Test - The Cold War 1945-1989

1.2.13Grade 9 - The Cold War

1.3From the End of the Cold War to 9/11

1.3.1Reagan & Gorbachev

1.3.2Consequences of the Soviet War in Afghanistan

1.3.3End of Topic Test - End of the Cold War to 9/11

1.3.4Grade 9 - The End of the Cold War

2Changing Interpretations

2.1Changing Interpretations

2.1.1Appeasement

2.1.2The Responsibility for Cold War Tensions

2.1.3End of Topic Test - Appeasement

2.1.4Grade 9 - Changing Interpretations

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