Containment: Cold War and George C. Marshall
1. Explain the US policy of containment abroad. What were the economic, military, and political strategies of enforcing containment? Identify at least three specific programs or institutions in your response.
* First laid out by George F. Kennan in 1947, Containment stated that communism needed to be contained and isolated, or it would spread to neighboring countries. This spread would allow the Domino Theory to take hold, meaning that if one country fell to communism, then each surrounding country would fall
* Kennan sent a 8000 telegram to the U.s (long telegram) he told insight on soviets and there ruthless expansion. He said that “firm and vigilant containment” could stop them. This is the idea that started Containment policy.
Economically
-Trueman funded Greek and Turkish government to rebuild after WW2 because he feared that they would fall to communism
* The foundation of Bretton Woods was American economic power -- and the American interest in strengthening the economies of the rest of the world to immunize them from communism and build the containment of the Soviet Union.
* Bretton wood established the IMF or World bank. The IMF addressed Currency stabilization after WW2.
* By stabilizing a country economically this makes the less to fall to Communism.
* The U.S said if we help you though the IMF or World bank that YOU (country) will buy things and trade with us. Use the money we provided you back to the U.S
* Containment provided a conceptual framework for a series of successful initiatives undertaken from 1947 to 1950 to blunt Soviet expansion.
* The first step was the “Truman Doctrine” of March 1947, which reflected the combativeness of President Harry Truman. Truman wanted to “scare the hell” out of Congress
* Truman Doctrine- detailed the threat of communism, and Congress quickly agreed to allocate the requested $400 million to prevent the fall of Greece and Turkey to the communists.
* First laid out by George F. Kennan in 1947, Containment stated that communism needed to be contained and isolated, or it would spread to neighboring countries. This spread would allow the Domino Theory to take hold, meaning that if one country fell to communism, then each surrounding country would fall
* Kennan sent a 8000 telegram to the U.s (long telegram) he told insight on soviets and there ruthless expansion. He said that “firm and vigilant containment” could stop them. This is the idea that started Containment policy.
Economically
-Trueman funded Greek and Turkish government to rebuild after WW2 because he feared that they would fall to communism
* The foundation of Bretton Woods was American economic power -- and the American interest in strengthening the economies of the rest of the world to immunize them from communism and build the containment of the Soviet Union.
* Bretton wood established the IMF or World bank. The IMF addressed Currency stabilization after WW2.
* By stabilizing a country economically this makes the less to fall to Communism.
* The U.S said if we help you though the IMF or World bank that YOU (country) will buy things and trade with us. Use the money we provided you back to the U.S
* Containment provided a conceptual framework for a series of successful initiatives undertaken from 1947 to 1950 to blunt Soviet expansion.
* The first step was the “Truman Doctrine” of March 1947, which reflected the combativeness of President Harry Truman. Truman wanted to “scare the hell” out of Congress
* Truman Doctrine- detailed the threat of communism, and Congress quickly agreed to allocate the requested $400 million to prevent the fall of Greece and Turkey to the communists.