Greece & Turkey
• By 1946, only GREECE + Czechoslovakia non-Communist in E. Europe.
• Greek govt (backed by British troops) fighting civil war vs Communists.
• Feb 1947: UK told Truman they could no longer afford to keep troops in Greece.
• Truman paid for UK troops + gave aid to TURKEY (also at risk from USSR).
• Aid = economic + humanitarian, but mostly MILITARY SUPPLIES + weapons.
Truman Doctrine (12 March 1947)
• 1930s: US stayed out of Europe’s affairs.
• Now, Truman declared US had a DUTY to act vs Communism.
• Policy = ‘CONTAINMENT’ (stop USSR expansion, not destroy it).
• This was called the TRUMAN DOCTRINE.
Marshall Plan
• Spring 1947: US Gen. GEORGE MARSHALL visited Europe → saw extreme poverty + risk of Communism.
• Impoverished Europe = “a breeding ground of HATE”.
• Proposed $17bn aid to revive economy + stop Communism.
• July 1947: W. European nations (led by UK + France) met in Paris → formally requested aid.
Cominform & Comecon
• USSR hated Marshall Aid, regarding it as new WAR PLANS against the Soviet Union → Stalin forbade Communist states from accepting it.
• COMINFORM (Oct 1947) – USSR’s control over European Communists.
• COMECON (Jan 1949) – USSR’s economic union for Iron Curtain states.
◦ Controlled E. European economies for USSR’s benefit.
◦ Forced all Communist states to share inventions w. USSR.
Czechoslovakia Crisis (Feb–March 1948)
• US Congress hesitant to approve Marshall Aid.
• Feb 1948: Communists seized power in CZECHOSLOVAKIA.
• 10 March: Popular minister Jan MASARYK died in ‘suspicious suicide’.
• Shocked US Congress → voted for Marshall Aid (31 March 1948).
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