The Cold War Begins

Part 1: Complete the Chart
1. Using your own words, complete the chart below to describe causes and effects of Cold War events and policies. Refer to the information you gathered in the online activity The Cold War Begins to help you complete each column. Topic

Brief Description
Causes
Effect and/or Outcome
Truman Doctrine
He established that the United States would provide political, military and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces. Declared it to be the foreign policy of the United States to assist any country whose stability was threatened by communism. His initial request was specifically for $400 million to assist both Greece and Turkey, which Congress approved. The Truman Doctrine was followed by the Marshall Plan later that year. Congress approved Truman`s request, and it was signed into law on May 22, 1947. American support was delivered to both Turkey and Greece. Turkey was able to resist Soviet pressure over the Dardanelles and the Greek government largely eliminated the communist rebellion by October 1949 Marshall Plan

Was the American initiative to aid Europe, in which the United States gave $17 billion The United States and its allies, the victors of World War II, took steps to reverse mass disintegration among the people of Europe, including Turkey. To clear away the damage in those areas as quickly as possible and to begin economic reconstruction, the Economic Cooperation Act of 1948 The European Recovery Programme (nicknamed the ‘Marshall Plan’) was set up because the economic infrastructure of Europe had been destroyed by the Second World War and because this – and the coldest winter on record – had by 1947 reduced the people of Europe to starvation Berlin Airlift

The Berlin Airlift, 1948–1949. At the end of the Second World War, U.S., British, and Soviet military forces divided and occupied Germany. The Russians–who wanted Berlin all for themselves–closed all highways, railroads and canals from western-occupied Germany into western-occupied Berlin. This, they believed, would make it impossible for the people who lived there to get food or any other supplies and would eventually drive Britain, France and the U.S. The allies decided to supply their sectors of the city from the air. This effort, known as the “Berlin Airlift,” lasted for more than a year and carried more than 2.3 million tons of cargo into West Berlin. Korean War

The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was a war between the Republic of Korea (South Korea), supported by the United Nations, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), one time supported by the People’s Republic of China and the Soviet Union. It was primarily the result of the political division of Korea by an agreement of the victorious Allies at the conclusion of the Pacific War at the end of World War II. The Korean Peninsula was ruled by the Empire of Japan from 1910 until the end of World War II Following the surrender of the Empire of Japan in September 1945, American administrators divided the peninsula along the 38th parallel, with U.S. military forces occupying the southern half and Soviet military forces occupying the northern half

(50 points)
Part 2: Write an Article
2. Choose one aspect of the Cold War—the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the Berlin Airlift, or the Korean War. Decide whether or not the events related to that aspect of the Cold War could be considered part of the U.S. policy of containment. Write a brief article explaining how the U.S. policy of containment is relevant to the topic you chose. The first sentence of the first paragraph will be the thesis statement and should name the aspect of the Cold War and state whether or not the events related to it could be considered part of the U.S. policy of containment. For example: The U.S. response to the devastation of Western Europe can/cannot be considered part of the U.S. policy of containment. Use your completed chart from Part 1 of this Graded Assignment as a resource for your essay. Your article should:

Paraphrase your thesis statement.
Provide some background information about the topic you chose. Describe the policy of containing communism adopted by the United States after World War II. Describe the reasons for the policy and explain how the United States intended to enforce this policy. Explain why events related to your topic could be considered, or not considered, part of the U.S. policy of containment. Answer:

The US response to the devastation of West Europe ‘can’ be considered part of the US policy of containment. In regards to the Marshall Plan; When the War ended May 1945 West Europe (especially Germany) was left devastated, and for the most part stayed that way 1946/ 1947. Populations were without housing, refugees were everywhere, there was starvation in Germany and the Soviet Russians who held East Europe were trying to expand into ravaged West Europe. Then, 1948 along came the Marshall Plan……..then say what the Marshall Plan was, how it rebuilt and fixed West Europe making the population there loyal to the USA, to capitalism, and made profit for US business and new European business thus ‘containing’ the Soviets.