Who was to blame for the Cold War?

The Soviet Union’s policy on Eastern Europe

The USA’s policy on Eastern Europe

The Soviet Union created Satellites. Elections in Eastern countries were rigged to allow USSR backed communist parties to take control. The Red Army was used to force countries to become communist. By May 1948 all Eastern European countries had communist governments.

Greece: The royalists and communists were fighting over who was to take control of Greece after the war. Under the Truman Doctrine, the USA provided Greece with arms and money and prevented the spread of communism in 1949.

Yugoslavia was under communist rule but the communist leader Tito was not controlled by Stalin. Yugoslavia was cut off from Stalin’s support.

Czechoslovakia, 1948: Communists were not fully in control here and they considered accepting Marshall Aid. Elections were held in 1948 and it seemed that non-communists would take power. BUT:Jan Masaryk was murdered.Only communist were allowed to stand for electionCzechoslovakia became communist.

The Truman Doctrine 1947: The aim of the Truman Doctrine was to contain communism. America would now play a leading part in world affairs. The USA also provided military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey. At this point, it became clear that a ‘cold war’ had started.

Stalin created Cominform 1947 – as a response to the Marshall Plan. Aim was to spread communist ideas. Yugoslavia was the only communist country that was not a member.

Marshall Aid, 1947: Europe’s economies were in ruins after WW2. Truman wanted to make Europe prosperous again so that Western countries would not fall to communism. The Marshall Plan said:

• USA would stop spread of communism

• Help economies of Europe by providing billions of dollars 1947-51.

However, only 16 countries accepted and Stalin refused to let Eastern European countries take Marshall aid.

Stalin created Comecon,1949, to co-ordinate the production and trade of Eastern European countries. Favoured the USSR.

In 1946 in Fulton, Missouri, USA, Winston Churchill said that an iron curtain had been created, separating Eastern and Western Europe.