Download Truman and the Cold War

Truman and the
Cold War
Foreign policy in Europe and
Latin America
Kennan “Long Telegram”
• George Kennan, a state department
employee in Moscow, wrote a telegram
• Said USSR policy built on traditional
Russian expansion and Communist
ideology
• Urged US to “contain” the USSR
Truman Doctrine
• Speech to Congress, March 1947
• Asking for $ to help Greece and Turkey
– Civil war in Greece and USSR pressure on
Turkey for naval base
– Wanted to combat the Communist scare
• Outlined the idea of “Containment”
– Stop the spread of Communism
• Considered to be a declaration of the Cold
War
Effect of the Truman
Doctrine
• Dominated US foreign policy and
culture
• Caused US to be involved in Korea and
Vietnam
• Created arms race and space race
• US and USSR competed to influence
other countries of the world
Marshall Plan & NATO
• Marshall Plan was instituted in Europe
– US gave $13 billion to Western European
nations to rebuild
– Offered money to USSR, but they refused
• NATO
– North Atlantic Treaty Organization
– Military alliance between Western
European nations and US
Berlin Blockade
• Berlin was divided into 4 quadrants after
WWII
• USSR blocked US, UK & France from
getting to their quadrants
• US and allies airlifted supplies into West
Berlin for 1 year
• Berlin Blockade seen as 1st Cold War
contest between US & USSR
Truman Doctrine in Latin
America
• After WWII Latin American countries did
not prioritize containing Communism
• Latin American countries wanted
economic and technological aid to
industrialize
– Thought poverty was the bigger threat
Rio Conference 1947
• Conference of American nations
– US sought collective security
– Latin American countries sought aid
• Participants signed the Rio Treaty
– An attack on 1 American nation was an
attack on all (collective security)
– US felt Rio Conference and Treaty was a
great success
Rio Conference 1947
• Some Latin American countries banned
Communist organizations and cut off
diplomatic ties with the USSR
– Brazil, Cuba and Chile
• Some LA countries disappointed with
Treaty
– Marshall Plan only for Europe since it was
a bigger priority to rebuild
Organization of American
States (OAS)
• Updated version of Union of American
Republics
• Administrative agency for hemispheric
consultation and military strategy
– US saw it as the whole of the Americas
fighting Communism
– Latin American countries insisted that
Charter state no country shall interfere in
the internal affairs of another country
Truman aid to Latin America
• US saw Latin America as less of a
priority than Europe
– 20 Latin American countries received $79
million from 1949-1953
– Rest of world (Europe & Japan) received
$13 billion
• Created a tide of Anti-American
sentiment in Latin America
ECLA
• Economic Commission for Latin America
– Created by United Nations in 1948
– Purpose was to contribute to the economic
development of Latin America, and
reinforcing economic ties among LA
countries and with other nations of the world
• Criticized US economic policies in LA
– Said LA poverty was partially due to its role
as supplier of raw materials to industrialized
nations