November 11th
Britain controlled Greece until elections were held. For the elections in 1946,
there were two main parties: the communists and the Royalists, who
represented capitalist interests. The Royalists won the elections. However,
the communists didn’t accept the results. They launched a guerrilla war
against the government and received support from neighboring communist
countries. The Royalists, on the other hand, had the backing of Britain.
The British helped the Royalists until they could no longer continue. They
had 40,000 soldiers aiding the Royalists, and they also sent money to the
Greek government. Britain also provided financial aid to Turkey to curb the
spread of communism. Eventually, Britain had to stop its support, but before
leaving Greece, they spoke to the U.S. government and warned them that
communism might advance. Britain was in a post-war state and needed to
focus on its own recovery.
The U.S. then intervened with the Truman Doctrine. It began with an urgent
appeal to the U.S. Congress for a loan for Greece and the possibility of
sending soldiers. Congress agreed, and the U.S. sent 400 million dollars to
support Greece and Turkey. After three years of fighting, the Royalists won
the guerrilla war, and the communists gave up. Had it not been for the help
of the U.S., Greece would likely have become communist. The Truman
Doctrine aimed to fight against communism and held that the U.S. should
support countries that had recently endured war to prevent the spread of
communism.
The Marshall Plan
Following the success in Greece, the U.S. decided to offer similar aid to other
countries. They provided financial assistance to countries recently impacted
by WWII to support their recovery. The goal was to strengthen these nations
so they could resist the influence of the Soviet Union and stop the spread of
communism.
The primary motivation was economic. The U.S. distributed 13 billion dollars,
but they didn’t have all the funds readily available. To fund the Marshall
Plan, Truman implemented measures like "No Meat Tuesdays" and "No Eggs
Thursdays," and workers temporarily received no wage increases. The
Marshall Plan was ultimately a success, running from 1947 to 1952.
Teacher criticizes Milei and Macri because of the IMF (International Monetary
Fund).
Germany: The Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Airlift was a series of flights that delivered goods to West Berlin.
Context: Germany and Berlin were divided into four zones after WWII.
Stalin wanted a weak Germany to facilitate the spread of communism.
Meanwhile, the French, British, and American zones in Germany operated
under a common administration. Disagreements arose over a new currency,
with the Western Allies pushing for a common currency—the Deutsche Mark
—for all of Germany, including the Soviet-controlled part. Stalin disagreed
and only accepted the currency in the Western zones, while pushing for the
spread of Soviet currency.
Berlin, located within the Soviet zone, was surrounded by Soviet forces.
Stalin threatened to block access to West Berlin if the new currency was
imposed, and he ultimately followed through by sealing off Berlin. This
resulted in a major confrontation that nearly triggered WWIII. Gas, coal, and
electricity supplies were cut off, and East Berlin (controlled by the Soviets)
stopped sending supplies to West Berlin. Stalin’s aim was to demonstrate to
the world, especially to Germans, that life under communism was superior
to capitalism. Without outside help, the two million residents of West Berlin
would face starvation.
With land routes blocked, the only way to supply West Berlin was by air. In
September 1948, 4,000 tons of supplies were delivered daily by air. The risk
was that Stalin might shoot down the planes, but he chose not to. The airlift
continued until April 1949, and a month later, Stalin lifted the blockade.
Main consequence: All that Otto von Bismarck had worked for in unifying
Germany was undone. Germany was divided into two separate countries:
East Germany, known as the German Democratic Republic, and West
Germany, known as the Federal Republic of Germany.
THE COLD WAR
Stalin died in 1953 and was replaced by Nikita Khrushchev, who proposed a
policy of peaceful coexistence and Détente, moving away from Stalin’s
policies, or “De-Stalinization.” As a result, people began escaping from Iron
Curtain countries, with many fleeing to Berlin. East Berlin had a population
of 20 million, and approximately 2,000 people were escaping every day. The
Berlin Wall was built to prevent this, and those attempting to cross were
often shot, dividing some families.
There were several points at which De-Stalinization efforts stalled.
The Korean War
The U.S. led a policy of containment to prevent the spread of communism.
Why Korea? In 1949, communists took control in China, marking a failure
for containment policy. Korea had been ruled by Japan until 1945 (following
the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings). With Japan’s defeat, it lost control
over Korea, leaving Korea without a government. At the Yalta Conference,
the U.S. and the USSR agreed to divide Korea along the 38th parallel. The
UN later decided that elections should be held in Korea, but the Soviets
rejected this idea, resulting in Korea remaining divided. In the south, the
Republic of Korea was set up by the Americans, while in the north, the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was established by the Soviets. South
Korea was led by Syngman Rhee, and North Korea by Kim Il-Sung, a former
Red Army captain.
There was no peace, and 18,000 people died within the first two years. The
Soviets and Americans eventually withdrew from Korea, but tensions
remained high, and in 1950, war broke out. North Korean troops launched a
surprise attack on the South, capturing Seoul. In response, the U.S. quickly
intervened, sending battleships and weapons to support South Korea. The
UN requested that North Korea withdraw from South Korea, but the North
refused. A UN force (composed of the UK, U.S., and France) intervened, led
by American General Douglas MacArthur, who pushed the North Koreans
back to the 38th parallel.
China grew concerned, fearing that the U.S. might attack them next, as the
U.S. was now involved in a region close to their borders (North Korea). In
response, China entered the war in support of North Korea with 2 million
soldiers. General MacArthur requested more troops from the U.S. He even
advocated for the use of atomic bombs against China, but President Truman
refused, effectively bringing an end to the conflict. Subsequently, the U.S.
elected a new president, Dwight Eisenhower, who approached the situation
differently. He was initially prepared to use the bomb, but Stalin’s death led
the Soviets to stop supporting China, and the war eventually ended. An
armistice was signed.
The Korean War posed a serious danger, as it could have sparked WWIII.
Although Americans fought openly in Korea, the Soviets discreetly supported
the Chinese by disguising their planes and uniforms, as neither side wanted
to escalate the conflict into a global war.
