The Truman Doctrine & Marshall Aid (AQA GCSE History) : Revision Note
The importance of the Truman Doctrine & the Marshall Plan - Summary
After 1945, many European countries were poor and struggling to rebuild after the destruction and damage caused by the Second World War. These countries were particularly vulnerable to communism, as people wanted wealth to be redistributed and given to those in need. President Truman believed that countries could either:
Or
This set of ideas became known as the ‘Truman Doctrine’. Truman believed that richer countries would find it easier to resist communism. Therefore, the Marshall Plan was created to provide countries across Europe with economic aid. The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan angered the Soviet Union. Stalin believed that the USA had deliberately split Europe in two and that it was clear the USA was trying to spread its capitalist beliefs. For the USA, their policy of Isolationism had been abandoned, and replaced by a desire to contain communism in Eastern Europe. |
US aid to Greece & Türkiye, 1947
Greece and Türkiye (Turkey) were both struggling to prevent a communist takeover of their governments
The UK announced it could no longer provide military support to the Greek government
Truman was worried about the spread of communism and decided to take action
On 12th March 1947, Truman announced that the USA would send $400 million to both Greece and Türkiye
By 1949, the Communists in Greece had been defeated
What did the Truman Doctrine promise to Europe?
At the same time as announcing his support for Türkiye and Greece, Truman also spoke about how nations have two alternative ways of life:
The Truman Doctrine marked a new approach of the USA towards other countries:
Before the Second World War, the USA had followed a policy of isolationism by not getting involved in the affairs of other countries
With the spread of communism in Europe, Isolationism was replaced by the policy of containment
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Students commonly get confused between the Truman Doctrine and the Carter Doctrine. Both US presidents created their doctrines in response to the threat of communism spreading. They used the USA's wealth in an attempt to control the Soviet Union. However, the Truman Doctrine was announced as a reaction to the end of the Second World War. The Carter Doctrine was a reaction to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
What was the Marshall Plan?
Truman hoped that countries would choose the ‘first way’ of his doctrine and reject communism
However, after the destruction of the Second World War, many people saw communism as a way to redistribute wealth and improve their lives
Truman realised that the USA would need to help poorer countries to prevent them from becoming communist
After a visit to Europe, General George Marshall told Truman that ‘every’ country in Europe was at risk of turning to communism because of how poor they were
He recommended that the USA provide these countries with economic aid to turn them away from communism
The US Congress passed the Marshall Plan after Czechoslovakia became communist in 1948
The economic impact of the Marshall Plan
Before the plan was passed, $12.7 billion had already been given to other countries
The Marshall Plan gave away $13 billion to 16 European countries in Western Europe
How was Marshall Aid divided between different European countries?
Money was distributed based on the population and pre-war economy of each country
It was described as a ‘lifeline to sinking men’ by the British foreign secretary, Ernest Bevin
The Marshall Plan was offered to the satellite states of Eastern Europe but Truman knew that Stalin would not allow them to accept the money
Why did the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan increase Cold War tensions?
Stalin saw the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan as a threat to communism and the Soviet Union
He also believed that the USA was undermining the role of The United Nations, which should be the group providing money to other countries
Stalin called the Marshall Plan ‘dollar imperialism’ because of how the USA was trying to expand its ‘empire’ using money
The Marshall Plan had divided the West from the East:
Satellite states were in support of the Soviet Union
Recipients of the Marshall Plan supported the USA
Worked Example
Write an account of how the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Aid increased tensions between East and West.
[8 marks]
Answer:
One way the Truman Doctrine increased tension between East and West was by making it clear that the USA was going to take action to stop the spread of communism. Truman announced the Doctrine in 1947 and said the USA would support countries threatened by communism with money and help. This was part of the USA’s new policy called containment, which aimed to stop communism from spreading. The USSR saw this as a direct challenge to its influence in Eastern Europe. Stalin believed the USA was trying to interfere in other countries and stop the spread of communism, which made relations worse.
Another way tension increased was through Marshall Aid, which was introduced in 1948. The USA offered $12 billion to help rebuild Europe’s economy after the Second World War. The aim was to make countries strong so they wouldn’t turn to communism. Many Western countries accepted the money, but Stalin refused Marshall Aid for Eastern Europe and told other communist countries to reject it. He saw it as a way for the USA to gain control in Europe. In response, Stalin set up Comecon to give aid to communist countries. This made Europe even more divided and showed that the USA and USSR were now in direct competition with each other.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The 'Write an account' question relies on an understanding of causes and consequences.
Causes and consequences are like falling dominos.
The causes are what pushes the dominos over
The consequences are the other dominos that fall
For further guidance on this question, you can read this revision note on how to answer the 8-mark “Write an account" question.
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