The Early Cold War Years The Long Telegram

The Early Cold War Years

The Long Telegram § February 22, 1946 George Kennan responded to the request for information on Moscow with the Long Telegram, a 5, 540 word message § Soviet view point came from “traditional Russian sense of insecurity” and was intensified by Marxist thought

The Long Telegram § Stated that the United States need to practice “a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies” § Containment keeping communism within its present territory through the use of diplomatic, economic, and military actions

Crisis in Iran § March 1946 the Soviet troops in Iran had not left following WWII like promised § Stalin began to demand some of Iran’s oil supply § Americans viewed these actions as a Soviet push into the Middle East § Secretary of State sent a strong message to Stalin to withdraw § Soviet troops withdrew after pressure from the USS Missouri

The Truman Doctrine § Stalin turned towards Turkey after his defeat in the Middle East § August 1946 Stalin demanded joint control of the Dardanelles with Turkey § President Truman ordered the aircraft carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt to join the USS Missouri in protecting Turkey

The Truman Doctrine § March 12, 1947 Truman asked for $400 million to fight communism in Turkey and Greece § Truman Doctrine aid “free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures”

The Marshall Plan § June 1947 Secretary of State George C. Marshall proposed the European Recovery Program, or Marshall Plan § Gave European nations American aid to rebuild their economies § Truman saw this and the Truman Doctrine as two halves of a whole in fighting communism § Marshall Plan was offered to Eastern Europe, but they refused the aid and instead, the Soviets developed their own economic program

The Berlin Airlift § US officials determined that the Soviets were trying to undermine Germany’s economy § United States, France, and Great Britain merged their zones of Germany and Berlin

Berlin Airlift § June 1948 Soviet Union cut off all road and rail traffic to West Berlin § Berlin Airlift June 1948 -Spring 1949, American forces flew in supplies to the people of West Berlin § Stalin lifted the blockade on May 2, 1949

NATO § American public wanted an alliance with Western Europe § April 1949 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created § Initially included 12 countries: United States, Canada, Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Iceland § NATO was a mutual defense alliance § Soviets responded with the Warsaw Pact, a military alliance with Eastern Europe