Europe Aftermath of World War II

soviet expansion, change of central-eastern european borders , creation of communist eastern bloc after world war ii

the alliance between western allies , soviet union began deteriorate before war over, when stalin, roosevelt, , churchill exchanged heated correspondence on whether polish government-in-exile, backed roosevelt , churchill, or provisional government, backed stalin, should recognised. stalin won.

a number of allied leaders felt war between united states , soviet union likely. on 19 may 1945, american under-secretary of state joseph grew went far inevitable.

on 5 march 1946, in sinews of peace (iron curtain) speech @ westminster college in fulton, missouri, winston churchill said shadow had fallen on europe. described stalin having dropped iron curtain between east , west. stalin responded charging co-existence between communist countries , west impossible. in mid-1948 soviet union imposed blockade on western zone of occupation in berlin.

due rising tension in europe , concerns on further soviet expansion, american planners came contingency plan code-named operation dropshot in 1949. considered possible nuclear , conventional war soviet union , allies in order counter soviet takeover of western europe, near east , parts of eastern asia anticipated begin around 1957. in response, saturate soviet union atomic , high-explosive bombs, , invade , occupy country. in later years, reduce military expenditures while countering soviet conventional strength, president dwight eisenhower adopt strategy of massive retaliation, relying on threat of nuclear strike prevent non-nuclear incursions soviet union in europe , elsewhere. approach entailed major buildup of nuclear forces , corresponding reduction in america s non-nuclear ground , naval strength. soviet union viewed these developments atomic blackmail .

in greece, civil war broke out in 1946 between anglo-american-supported royalist forces , communist-led forces, royalist forces emerging victors. launched massive programme of military , economic aid greece , neighbouring turkey, arising fear soviet union stood on verge of breaking through nato defence line oil-rich middle east. on 12 march 1947, gain congressional support aid, president truman described aid promoting democracy in defence of free world , principle became known truman doctrine.

the sought promote economically strong , politically united western europe counter threat posed soviet union. done openly using tools such european recovery program, encouraged european economic integration. international authority ruhr, designed keep german industry down , controlled, evolved european coal , steel community, founding pillar of european union. united states worked covertly promote european integration, example using american committee on united europe funnel funds european federalist movements. in order ensure western europe withstand soviet military threat, western european union founded in 1948 , nato in 1949. first nato secretary general, lord ismay, famously stated organisation s goal keep russians out, americans in, , germans down . however, without manpower , industrial output of west germany no conventional defence of western europe had hope of succeeding. remedy this, in 1950 sought promote european defence community, have included rearmed west germany. attempt dashed when french parliament rejected it. on 9 may 1955, west germany instead admitted nato; immediate result creation of warsaw pact 5 days later.

the cold war saw creation of propaganda , espionage organisations such radio free europe, information research department, gehlen organization, central intelligence agency, special activities division, , ministry state security.