Cold War Crash Course II
Added 2018-01-09 00:01:01 +0000 UTC[PATRONS}
In the second episode of the CWCC, we look at how the US managed to tie Western Europe closer to its orbit through political strategy, closer cooperation and sheer economic investment. The Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan and NATO were critical building blocks in the Euro-American relationship in the late 1940s, and we get to grips with them here.
As the US worked with its beleaguered allies, the chronic lack of food as much as coal threatened disaster. With the dollar above all being the top currency of the shattered continent, a shortage of these same dollars represented disaster to many European states. The initial solution, so it seemed, was favourable loans. Eventually, the solution, stark as it was, was the provision of American sponsored grants. The provision of billions of dollars of aid to get the West back on track, so that it could stand up to communism and hold its own.
All the while, Moscow schemed, and the critical question of what to do with Germany loomed large. Neither question would be answered quickly, or without the expenditure of a great deal of effort, money and other resources. Although they were on the right track, there was much to be concerned about in this post-war world, and several challenges still lay on the horizon. The dangers of a communist takeover, or of the big freeze that the winter of 1947-48 presented, threatened ruin for Western civilisation, and one man in particular George C Marshall (pictured), believed that strategic charity, not a tough business sense, should take centre stage. Marshall Aid was en route, but would it get there in time?
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Comments
Do you produce a podcast Mike? I think someone with the ability to know how future historians will look back on this current period, without the benefit of the hindsight they’ll have, would be very popular. I for one would not download or support it.
Laurence Waring
2018-01-14 23:41:50 +0000 UTCWow Mike, that's a bit harsh considering you haven't seen the rest of the CW episodes. While the threat of communism was evident to the US, the threat the US posed to the communists was just as obvious, at last in their eyes. I don't think our gracious host needs me to defend his conclusions, which haven't been fully unveiled yet. But you appear to be following the Orthodox reading of the Cold War. That's fine, but I wonder if you've considered any of the other well written and well researched histories on the topic?
The American History Podcast
2018-01-11 03:16:40 +0000 UTC
