The effect of the

Cold War
BY CAMERON BURGES

The United States after World War

2
After V-E day, Germany lay in ruins. Her Industry destroyed and her
Economy Collapsed. Germany laid divided up between the
victorious allied powers of the United States, Great Britain, France,
and the Soviet Union. However, the alliance between the United
States and the Soviet Union would prove to be a shotgun marriage
that could not last.

The United States in the Cold war

The U.S. believed that Germany needed to be rebuilt economically.

They understood that if they worked with Germany to restructure
and rebuild that they could form a powerful ally. This in turn would
also spare the U.S. economically as they would not be forced to
support Germany financially.

The U.S. believed in a Capitalist economy and a free market. This

was a stark contrast to the Soviet Union which had a heavily
regulated economy.

The Soviet Union in the Cold War

The Soviet Union was heavily ravaged by Germany during world

war II and felt no sorrow in returning the favor after the war had
ended.

The USSR decided that instead of rebuilding their portion of

Germany, they would instead work to dismantle all german
industry to take back to the homeland.

The USSR sought to punish Germany for the war and proceeded
to dismantle the German economy.

A difference in Leadership.
Harry Truman

Helped Create the World Bank

Funded the rebuilding of

Germany and Japan

Prosecuted war criminals at the

Nuremburg Trials
In 1947, outlined the Marshall
Plan which set aside over $10
Billion for the rebuilding and
reindustrialization of Germany.

Joseph Stalin

Fought Truman on nearly every

issue.

Protested the Marshall Plan as

well as the World Bank.

Set up pro-communist
governments in Poland and other
Eastern European countries.

Blockaded Berlin in an attempt to

drive U.S. , British, and French
forces.

contaimnent

Truman began containment with a speech where he pledged to

support free people who are resisting attempted subjugation y
armed minorities or by outside pressures.

This in turn meant that the president intended to fight

communism anywhere and everywhere that it appeared. The
goal of containment was to stop the spread of communism and
ultimately end it completely.

Containment

The Berlin crisis combined with the formation of the Eastern Bloc
of soviet dominated countries in Eastern Europe caused foreign
policy officials in the U.S. to take a different look at the USSR and
expanding socialism. In order to prevent the further spread of
Communism, Truman incorporated a desire for containment into
his Truman Doctrine which he formed in 1947. As a result he and
congress then pledged over $400 million to fighting the spread of
communism in both Greece and Turkey.

The Effect of the Cold War

The cold War brought about tensions between two world super
powers. The United States and USSR. This tension caused for
increased homeland security policies on both sides as well as
policies meant to contain and disrupt the opposing nation. This
also led to the biggest arms buildup in modern history.