The Containment Of US Policy After The Cold War

In efforts to contain communism, the United States created the Containment Policy. This US Policy was put into effect as response to a series of moves by the Soviet Union to expand and spread throughout Eastern Europe, China, Korea and Vietnam. The doctrine was written by George F. Kennan an American diplomat, in the year 1946. The idea was that if superpower Soviet Union can be contained, Soviet troops would be forced to push back in effort to update their priorities. Four “tools” made the Containment Policy strong enough to prevail and push Soviet troops back, avoiding a third world war and soon ending the Cold War. The first aid in the Containment Policy was the Truman Doctrine. This doctrine made the support of free people and countries who are falling to Soviet powers, a policy of the United States. Truman urged Greece to cease their Civil War of 1949. He argued that if Greece and Turkey did not accept his financial aid and economical support, they would soon too fall to communism. The policy allowed over $400 million American dollars in aid to the region, but no military forces. The Marshall Plan was the second form of reinforcement used in the Containment Policy. Following World War II, Europe was in a wrecked and depressed state.
Beginning in 1947, the Marshall Plan gave $13 billion American dollars to help rebuild Western Europe. The key focuses of the Marshall plan was to rebuild war-devastated regions, remove trade barriers and make Europe stable and prosperous once again. George Marshall whom the plan is named after, stated in equal importance in a quick rebuilding of Europe and a strong antagonizing for the Soviets. A strong presence of Western powers in free West Berlin became a threat to Soviet powers.
In 1948 Soviet authorities ceased all road, rail, and barge traffic from entering West Berlin. This became known as the Berlin Blockade and soon to be the Berlin Airlift. Americans knew that occupation of West Berlin was vital and leaving was no option. The airlift originated as a short term policy but was prolonged after Soviets refused to lift the blockades. For over a year American, British and French cargo planes brought vital supplies to those living in West Berlin. 2.3 million tons of cargo was lifted into West Berlin over the course of the plan and maintained occupation until 1949 when the Soviets failed and lifted the
blockade. The last tool that gave strength to the US Containment Policy is NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO was established during the Cold War after the Berlin blockade. The United States, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom are the first 12 countries to sign into NATO. These 12 countries became a war alliance and provided the framework for the military standoffs which continued throughout the Cold War. The Cold War following WWII was a period of fear, rebuilding and moving forward all while containing Communism. Through the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan aid was given to rebuild countries and help fight against communism. The Berlin airlift and the creation of NATO successfully showed Soviet powers that we will not roll over. We will form allies, we will prevail.