2. 5 June 1947: US introduces the “Marshall
Plan”, named for Secretary of State George
Marshall
◦ Offered financial aid to help all European countries
rebuild after the war
The Marshall Plan: Action
3. Rationale was that if
the economies of
these countries were
healthy, then there
would be no threat of
communist growth
The Marshall Plan
4. In the end, many
countries in Western
Europe accepted the
money
◦ Between 1948 and
1952, over $13 billion
went to these
countries
The Marshall Plan
5. 1947: As a reaction
to the Marshall
Plan, the Soviets
introduced the
“Molotov Plan”
◦ Named for Soviet
Foreign Minister
Vyacheslav Molotov
The Molotov Plan: Reaction
6. The plan was based
on free trade among
Eastern bloc
countries
◦ Available only to
Eastern bloc countries
Poland, Hungary, and
Romania
◦ Soviet intimidation
forced these countries
to accept this plan over
the Marshall Plan
The Molotov Plan
7. 1. Western European
countries grow
prosperous with US
dollars
2. Eastern European
countries fail to
prosper and come
under greater Soviet
control
Results
8. 24 June 1948: Berlin
Blockade
◦ Related to the post-war
division of Germany
and Berlin that resulted
from decisions made at
Potsdam and Yalta
Berlin Blockade: Action
9. As relations between
the US and USSR
continued to
deteriorate the
likelihood of a
permanent solution
to this temporary
measure became
highly unlikely
Berlin Blockade
10. When the Allies
decided to merge
their 3 zones into a
single unit, the
Soviets felt
threatened and
reacted by blocking
all road and rail links
into West Berlin
◦ (West Berlin was within
the Soviet zone)
Berlin Blockade
11. 28 June 1948: US
reacts against the
blockade by
beginning “Operation
Vittles”- the Berlin
Airlift
◦ Lasted 11 months
Berlin Airlift: Reaction
12. Western powers
staged a massive
airlift of supplies from
Western Germany
into West Berlin
◦ Food, fuel, clothes, and
medicine are flown to
West Berlin
◦ Stalin eventually gives
in and ends the
blockade
Berlin Airlift
13. Permanent division of
Germany
◦ May 1949: The 3
occupation zones of the
Western powers
become the German
Federal Republic with
the capital in Bonn
◦ Oct. 1949: Soviet zone
becomes the German
Democratic Republic
with the capital in East
Berlin
◦ Remains divided until
1990
Results
15. 4 April 1949: US 12 original NATO
action to counter the members:
“perceived” military ◦ US, Canada, UK,
threat from the France, Belgium,
Netherlands, Denmark,
Soviet bloc countries
Norway, Iceland, Italy,
◦ Sent a message to the Portugal, Luxembourg
USSR that the West was
◦ 1955: West Germany
prepared to meet
Soviet expansion with
resistance
NATO: Action
16. Significant because
upon accepting the
leadership of this
organization, the US
must then re-arm
these countries
◦ It is also the first time
that the US joined a
military alliance during
peacetime
NATO
17. 1 May 1955: Soviets Attending countries:
react to NATO by USSR, Bulgaria, East
signing the Warsaw Germany, Romania, A
Pact lbania, Czechoslovaki
◦ Held in a, Poland, and
Warsaw, Poland Hungary
◦ 8 countries in
attendance
◦ IMPORTANT NOTE:
Nikita Khrushchev
has become leader of
USSR (1953)
Warsaw Pact: Reaction
18. Its stated purpose
was to assist one
another in the event
of another attack
(from NATO)
◦ Unified military
command based in
Moscow
Warsaw Pact
19. 29 Aug. 1949: The
Soviets successfully
detonate their first
atomic bomb
◦ Truman responds by
ordering the
development of the
hydrogen bomb
◦ Beginning of the
Nuclear Arms Race
Results