Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-3-the-truman-doctrine-and-marshall-plan [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [GCSE](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse.md) › [History](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history.md) › [OCR](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr.md) › The Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan # The Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan History: OCR A GCSE Cold War & International Relations, topic 1.2.3 ## 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' ![The 'domino effect'](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/996bb332-e21e-4947-9226-86302bae1175/shutterstock_550760947.jpg) - 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's 'Iron Curtain' speech](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/3a9f8710-4211-4663-abd9-3ad940c7c928/shutterstock_430557289.jpg) - 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 Truman Doctrine](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/11238f67-858d-456f-b6e9-1d73fef745ca/shutterstock_620759114.jpg) - 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, 1947](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/29db8108-56b5-4df1-b83f-7643abf2839c/shutterstock_132159902.jpg) - 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' !['Containment'](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/ed4b6977-25e0-4804-b804-80dfec03dcbb/shutterstock_233421268.jpg) - 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 ![Soviet perspective on the Marshall Plan](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/3a9f8710-4211-4663-abd9-3ad940c7c928/shutterstock_430557289.jpg) - 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 ![US perspective on the Marshall Plan](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/11238f67-858d-456f-b6e9-1d73fef745ca/shutterstock_620759114.jpg) - 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 ![Tension between Tito and Stalin](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/6de318e5-1eb5-49d9-897a-42a77f87bf15/shutterstock_436119109.jpg) - 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 ![Yugoslavia and the Marshall Plan](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/29db8108-56b5-4df1-b83f-7643abf2839c/shutterstock_132159902.jpg) - 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 ![The outcome](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/ad136d10-2498-43a7-945d-99ce5eff3e82/shutterstock_729665041.jpg) - 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. ## Test yourself on The Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan - When was the Truman Doctrine? - In 1947, which countries had already fallen to communism? - When was the Marshall Plan introduced? - Which of the following are correct about the views on The Marshall Plan? - How much money was provided by the USA in the Marshall Plan to help rebuild Europe? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/2536af80-4f7c-11e8-9781-7528a1e10f88/section/50bfcd00-4fa7-11e8-ae06-350c6e5e956d/session) - Previous topic: [1.2.2 Communism in the 20th Century](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-2-communism-in-the-20th-century.md) - Next topic: [1.2.4 East-West Alliances](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-4-east-west-alliances.md) ## History: OCR A GCSE Cold War & International Relations contents ### 1 Key Topics - 1.1 Conflict & Cooperation 1918-1939 - [1.1.1 The Treaty of Versailles](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-1-1-the-treaty-of-versailles.md) - [1.1.2 The Terms of Versailles 1](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-1-2-the-terms-of-versailles-1.md) - [1.1.3 The Terms of Versailles 2](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-1-3-the-terms-of-versailles-2.md) - [1.1.4 Versailles & the League of Nations](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-1-4-versailles-and-the-league-of-nations.md) - [1.1.5 LoN Successes & Failures](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-1-5-lon-successes-and-failures.md) - [1.1.6 LoN Failure - Upper Silesia](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-1-6-lon-failure-upper-silesia.md) - [1.1.7 LoN Failure - Corfu & Washington](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-1-7-lon-failure-corfu-and-washington.md) - [1.1.8 End of Topic Test - Treaties and Agreements](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-1-8-end-of-topic-test-treaties-and-agreements.md) - [1.1.9 The Great Depression](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-1-9-the-great-depression.md) - [1.1.10 Tension in Europe in the 1930s](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-1-10-tension-in-europe-in-the-1930s.md) - [1.1.11 WWII & Failure of the League of Nations](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-1-11-wwii-and-failure-of-the-league-of-nations.md) - [1.1.12 End of Topic Test - Tension in the 1930s](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-1-12-end-of-topic-test-tension-in-the-1930s.md) - [1.1.13 Grade 9 - Conflict & Cooperation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-1-13-grade-9-conflict-and-cooperation.md) - 1.2 The Cold War 1945-c.1989 - [1.2.1 Emerging US-Soviet Rivalry](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-1-emerging-us-soviet-rivalry.md) - [1.2.2 Communism in the 20th Century](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-2-communism-in-the-20th-century.md) - [1.2.3 The Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-3-the-truman-doctrine-and-marshall-plan.md) - [1.2.4 East-West Alliances](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-4-east-west-alliances.md) - [1.2.5 Berlin Crises](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-5-berlin-crises.md) - [1.2.6 The End of the Berlin Wall](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-6-the-end-of-the-berlin-wall.md) - [1.2.7 End of Topic Test - East & West](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-7-end-of-topic-test-east-and-west.md) - [1.2.8 Build-up to the Cuban Missile Crisis](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-8-build-up-to-the-cuban-missile-crisis.md) - [1.2.9 The Cuban Missile Crisis](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-9-the-cuban-missile-crisis.md) - [1.2.10 Cold War Conflict - Vietnam](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-10-cold-war-conflict-vietnam.md) - [1.2.11 Cold War Conflict - Afghanistan](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-11-cold-war-conflict-afghanistan.md) - [1.2.12 End of Topic Test - The Cold War 1945-1989](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-12-end-of-topic-test-the-cold-war-1945-1989.md) - [1.2.13 Grade 9 - The Cold War](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-13-grade-9-the-cold-war.md) - [1.2.14 Diagnostic Misconceptions - Russia vs USSR](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-14-diagnostic-misconceptions-russia-vs-ussr.md) - [1.2.15 Diagnostic Misconceptions - Stalin & the Atom Bomb](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-15-diagnostic-misconceptions-stalin-and-the-atom-bomb.md) - [1.2.16 Diagnostic Misconceptions - The Iron Curtain](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-16-diagnostic-misconceptions-the-iron-curtain.md) - [1.2.17 Diagnostic Misconceptions - The Truman Doctrine](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-17-diagnostic-misconceptions-the-truman-doctrine.md) - [1.2.18 Diagnostic Misconceptions - USSR vs Eastern Europe](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-18-diagnostic-misconceptions-ussr-vs-eastern-europe.md) - [1.2.19 Diagnostic Misconceptions - The Berlin Airlift](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-19-diagnostic-misconceptions-the-berlin-airlift.md) - [1.2.20 Diagnostic Misconceptions - The Berlin Wall](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-20-diagnostic-misconceptions-the-berlin-wall.md) - [1.2.21 Diagnostic Misconceptions - Hungarian Uprising](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-21-diagnostic-misconceptions-hungarian-uprising.md) - [1.2.22 Diagnostic Misconceptions - Stalin's Death](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-22-diagnostic-misconceptions-stalins-death.md) - [1.2.23 Diagnostic Misconceptions - Cuba](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-23-diagnostic-misconceptions-cuba.md) - [1.2.24 Diagnostic Misconceptions - Bay of Pigs](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-2-24-diagnostic-misconceptions-bay-of-pigs.md) - 1.3 From the End of the Cold War to 9/11 - [1.3.1 Reagan & Gorbachev](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-3-1-reagan-and-gorbachev.md) - [1.3.2 Consequences of the Soviet War in Afghanistan](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-3-2-consequences-of-the-soviet-war-in-afghanistan.md) - [1.3.3 End of Topic Test - End of the Cold War to 9/11](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-3-3-end-of-topic-test-end-of-the-cold-war-to-911.md) - [1.3.4 Grade 9 - The End of the Cold War](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-3-4-grade-9-the-end-of-the-cold-war.md) - [1.3.5 Diagnostic Misconceptions - Fall of the Wall](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/1-3-5-diagnostic-misconceptions-fall-of-the-wall.md) ### 2 Changing Interpretations - 2.1 Changing Interpretations - [2.1.1 Appeasement](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/2-1-1-appeasement.md) - [2.1.2 The Responsibility for Cold War Tensions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/2-1-2-the-responsibility-for-cold-war-tensions.md) - [2.1.3 End of Topic Test - Appeasement](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/2-1-3-end-of-topic-test-appeasement.md) - [2.1.4 Grade 9 - Changing Interpretations](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/ocr/2-1-4-grade-9-changing-interpretations.md)