Paper 2 Review
Topic 5
For what reasons and with what success did the U.S. adopt a policy of Containment between 1947 & 1962
Containment?
-introduced by the Truman Administration, describes the foreign policy pursued by the United States after WW2.
-attempted to contain the spread of communism by the Soviet Union
-it was introduced based on the work of George F. Keenan (Anonymous-X article)
- After WW2, Soviet and US became enemies
- Keenan wrote: " The Soviets perceived themselves to be in a state perpetual war with capitalism."
- Soviets would use controllable Marxists in the capitalist world as allies
President Truman enforced the Containment policy by:
- Truman Doctrine- America would give vast financial aid to stop the spread of communism
-US gave $400 million in aid to Greece and Turkey to fend off Communist revolutions
-1947 US announces the Marshall Plan 12 billion to be spent rebuilding Europe (Stalin regards this as a threat)
2. Military Solution:
-Creation of NATO- North Atlantic Treaty Organization
~was an attempt to follow the doctrine known as "Collective Security." (Western European nations would seek to protect themselves together)
How was it contained?
-Berlin
-Korea
-Cuba
Berlin
- was divided into 4 zones
- Communists wanted to take West Berlin because they had "Expansive Tendencies."
- US didn't want to lose their zone= they resisted
- Soviets blockade Berlin
- Airlift - flying supplies to people
Korea
- After the war, Korea divided by 38th parallel
- Communist North Korea invades US supported South Korea
- US pledged to help because=stop spread of communism
- failed= North Korea and China went to communism
Cuba
- Fidel Castro came to power in Jan. 1959
- Two years later, the US invaded to take him out of power
- He turned Cuba communist
- US found out that missiles were being placed in Cuba (Cuban Missile Crisis)
- April 1963, US and Soviet reached an agreement-missiles from Cuba and Turkey to be withdrawn