“Seldom, if ever, has a war ended leaving the victors with such a sense of uncertainty and fear, with such a realization that the

future is obscure and survival is not assured.” Edward R. Murrow

Russia in Eastern Europe

• Agreements for democracy broken • Americans: elections in Italy – popular

communist party • Soviets: Eastern European • Influence Agreements

Potsdam Conference• Churchill, Stalin and Truman

meet July 1945• Failed to resolve problems • Stalin

– German reparations – Stay in Eastern Europe

• Truman emboldened by atomic test– Stalin in Eastern Europe

unacceptable– Proposed smaller reparations – Keep Russia reliant on US

The Long TelegramIron Curtain• Soviet analyst George F. Kennan• Stalin won’t Negotiation• Stalin respected

strength/threats• US needed to be destroyed • IRON CURTAIN• Winston Churchill - Westminster

College, Fulton Missouri

Atomic Monopoly and the UN

• US to share atomic energy• Give up atomic weapons in

stages• UN consent

– Countries submit to inspection – US rep. to UN proposed

punishments for violators• Soviets rejected proposal rush

to build bomb– Suggest US disarmament total

disclosure of Secrets

The Truman Doctrine• 1947: Britain supports Greece -

Civil War against communist guerillas

• Congress opposed, Truman roused Citizens support, outlined the Truman doctrine – Aid to free people resisting armed

minorities, outsiders– $400 million, economic/military

help Greece and Turkey– Condemned communism

Domino Theory

• US sided with dictators Greece and Turkey• “Domino Theory,” If one nation falls to

communism then its neighbors will surely be next• Containment policy must prop up those

“Dominos” from falling

European Economic RecoveryThe Marshall Plan

• European recovery slow• Important to revitalize economy

– Encourage sale of US goods – Alleviate suffering of European

peoples, diminish support of communists

• Marshall Plan / European Recovery Act • George C. Marshall’s plan - massive

economic aid assistance • 16 Nations, $17 billion • “Our policy is directed not against any

country or doctrine, but against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos.”

Czechoslovakian Coup• Republicans: communist threat a

mere struggle over ideas • Then communist seize power in

Czechoslovakia• US public shocked • Confirmed fears of a soviet

aggression / internal subversion• Truman warned US on verge of

war • Soviets “destroyed the

independence and democratic character of a whole series of nations” Stalin and Klement Gottwald

• Germany and Berlin split 4 occupied zones • US/Soviets argue about German reparations, not

yet signed peace treaty• US/Britain to merge 2 occupational zones

Berlin Blockade• June 1948: Soviets close off

occupational zone • Truman:

– Give up Berlin to Soviets, undermine doctrine of containment

– Negotiations allow USSR to engineer crisis to exact concessions

• Truman ordered a massive airlift of supplies

• 11 months - 4000 tons daily - 250,000-supply missions

• Colonel Gail S. Halvorsen ”Candy Bomber”