Breakdown of Grand Alliance 1947-49 Notes

Key Questions

1. What was the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan, and how did they contribute to the breakdown of the Grand Alliance?
2. Why did the USSR blockade Berlin in 1948, and how did this contribute to the breakdown of the Grand Alliance?

What was the Truman Doctrine and how did it contribute to the breakdown of the Grand Alliance?

1. What was the Truman Doctrine?

1. President Harry Truman announced the Truman Doctrine in March 1947 in response to crises in Greece and Turkey.
2. The policy stated that the USA would provide military, economic, and political assistance to any country threatened by communism.
3. Truman described the world as divided between free people, who supported democracy, and oppressive regimes, which he associated with communism.
4. The announcement of the Truman Doctrine marked the end of American isolationism, as the USA committed to long-term involvement in international affairs, especially in Europe.

2. Why was the Truman Doctrine created?

1. The USA feared that communism would spread into unstable states such as Greece, where a civil war was taking place, and Turkey, where the Soviets were applying pressure over control of the Straits.
2. American leaders believed that growing political and economic instability in Europe made countries more vulnerable to communist influence.
3. The Truman Doctrine was developed because the USA decided it needed a new foreign policy based on containment, aimed at stopping further Soviet expansion.

3. What was the impact of the Truman Doctrine?

1. The Soviet Union reacted with deep suspicion because Stalin believed the Truman Doctrine was a direct attempt to undermine communism and threaten Soviet security.
2. The policy gave the Cold War an explicit ideological framing, presenting the USSR as part of a global danger that needed to be contained.
3. By openly committing to resist Soviet influence, the Truman Doctrine made further cooperation within the Grand Alliance impossible and helped solidify the beginning of the Cold War.

What was the Marshall Plan (European Recovery Program, 1947)?

1. What was the plan?

1. The Marshall Plan was proposed by George Marshall in June 1947 as a large-scale program of economic assistance.
2. The plan offered $13 billion in aid to help European nations rebuild their industries, infrastructure, and trade networks.
3. Countries that joined the Marshall Plan were expected to cooperate economically and share information, which encouraged greater unity among Western European nations.
4. Most Western nations accepted the aid, but the USSR rejected it and pressured Eastern European countries to refuse, arguing that the plan represented economic imperialism by the USA.

2. Why was it implemented?

1. Europe was facing severe economic devastation after World War II, including shortages, debt, and high levels of unemployment.
2. American policymakers believed that poverty and economic hardship made European countries more likely to support communist parties that promised change.
3. The USA created the Marshall Plan because it believed that rebuilding Europe’s economy was essential for preventing the further spread of Soviet influence.

3. What was the impact of the plan?

1. The Marshall Plan deepened the division between Eastern and Western Europe because only the West accepted American economic aid, while the East was forced to rely on Soviet support.
2. Stalin responded by tightening control over Eastern Europe and establishing Cominform in 1947 to strengthen ideological discipline among communist parties.
3. The plan helped create two distinct economic systems, one Western and capitalist and the other Eastern and communist, reinforcing the political separation of Europe.
4. The Marshall Plan contributed to the breakdown of the Grand Alliance by convincing Stalin that the USA intended to dominate Europe economically, thereby intensifying the Cold War.

How did the Berlin Blockade contribute to the breakdown of the Grand Alliance?

1. What was the Berlin Blockade?

1. The Berlin Blockade was a crisis that took place between June 1948 and May 1949, when the Soviet Union cut off all road, rail, and canal access to West Berlin.
2. Berlin was located deep inside the Soviet zone of Germany but had been divided into four occupation zones controlled by the USA, Britain, France, and the USSR.
3. Stalin ordered the blockade in an attempt to force the Western Allies to abandon West Berlin or bring it under Soviet control.
4. The crisis occurred as tensions increased over the future of Germany, which had become a central issue in post-war relations.

2. Causes of the Berlin Blockade

1. The USA, Britain, and France had begun to merge their occupation zones into Bizonia and later Trizonia, which alarmed the USSR.
2. The Western Allies introduced a new currency, the Deutschmark, in their zones in June 1948 to stabilise the German economy.
3. Stalin feared that a rebuilt West Germany would become a strong capitalist state aligned with the USA.
4. The USSR saw Western actions as a violation of agreements made at Yalta and Potsdam, increasing Soviet distrust.

3. The Berlin Airlift (Western Response)

1. In response to the blockade, the USA and Britain organised the Berlin Airlift, supplying West Berlin entirely by air.
2. Aircraft delivered food, fuel, and supplies to over two million people in the city on a daily basis.
3. The airlift demonstrated Western determination to resist Soviet pressure without using military force.
4. The success of the airlift undermined Stalin’s attempt to force the West out of Berlin.

4. Outcome of the Berlin Blockade

1. In May 1949, the USSR lifted the blockade after failing to achieve its objectives.
2. The crisis led directly to the creation of two separate German states later in 1949: West Germany (FRG) and East Germany (GDR).
3. Berlin remained divided, symbolising the wider division of Europe.

5. How the Berlin Blockade Contributed to the Breakdown of the Grand Alliance

1. The blockade showed that cooperation between the former Allies had been replaced by open confrontation.
2. The USA and its allies interpreted the blockade as Soviet aggression, reinforcing fears of expansionism.
3. The USSR viewed the airlift and Western economic reforms as proof of American hostility and long-term opposition.
4. The crisis confirmed the division of Europe into two rival blocs, one capitalist and one communist.
5. The Berlin Blockade marked the first major crisis of the Cold War and demonstrated that the Grand Alliance no longer existed in any meaningful form.