Questions for Written Discussion

Questions for Written Discussion:

Marshall Plan: Was it right for the US to get involved in the affairs of Europe after World War II? Explain.

Truman Doctrine: Truman feared that if Communists took control of Greece and Turkey that those nations would face a life "based upon the will of a minority forcibly imposed upon the majority." In America, does a minority of people or majority of people determine laws? Explain.

Iron Curtain: Did Churchill fear the spread of Communism or was he upset over the loss of nations to trade with? Explain.

Berlin Wall: Did the East Germans fear the West Germans or did the West Germans fear the East Germans? Explain. The Truman Doctrine

In a dramatic speech to a joint session of Congress, President Harry S. Truman asks for U.S. assistance for Greece and Turkey to forestall communist domination of the two nations. Historians have often cited Truman's address, which came to be known as the Truman Doctrine, as the official declaration of the Cold War.

The Truman administration believed that Greece and Turkey were threatened by communism and it jumped at the chance to take a tough stance against the Soviet Union. On March 12, 1947, Truman appeared before a joint session of Congress to make his case. The world, he declared, faced a choice in the years to come. Nations could adopt a way of life "based upon the will of the majority" and governments that provided "guarantees of individual liberty" or they could face a way of life "based upon the will of a minority forcibly imposed upon the majority." This latter regime, he indicated, relied upon "terror and oppression." "The foreign policy and the national security of this country," he claimed, were involved in the situations confronting Greece and Turkey. The president declared that "it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures." Truman requested $400 million in assistance for the two nations. Congress approved his request two months later.

The Truman Doctrine was a de facto declaration of the Cold War. Truman's address outlined the broad parameters of U.S. Cold War foreign policy: the Soviet Union was the center of all communist activity and movements throughout the world; communism could attack through outside invasion or internal subversion; and the United States needed to provide military and economic assistance to protect nations from communist aggression.

Questions:

1. What was the purpose of the Truman Doctrine? 2. What was happening in Greece and Turkey after WWII? 3. What does it mean to be a “de facto declaration of the Cold War”? 4. Why did some people resist the Truman Doctrine? The Marshall Plan

As the war-torn nations of Europe faced famine and economic crisis in the wake of World War II, the United States proposed to rebuild the continent in the interest of political stability and a healthy world economy. On June 5, 1947, in a commencement address at Harvard University, Secretary of State George C. Marshall first called for American assistance in restoring the economic infrastructure of Europe. Western Europe responded favorably, and the Truman administration proposed legislation. The resulting Economic Cooperation Act of 1948 restored European agricultural and industrial productivity. Credited with preventing famine and political chaos, the plan later earned General Marshall a Nobel Peace Prize.

Questions:

1. Why would the US want to offer assistance to Western Europe and not Eastern Europe? The Iron Curtain

Nine months after Sir Winston Churchill failed to be reelected as Britain's Prime Minister, Churchill traveled by train to Westminster College in the small Missouri town of Fulton where he gave his now famous "Iron Curtain" speech to a crowd of 40,000. Many people consider this speech to be the beginning of the Cold War.

“From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia; all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject, in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and in some cases increasing measure of control from Moscow. The safety of the world, ladies and gentlemen, requires a unity in Europe, from which no nation should be permanently outcast.”

Before this speech, the U.S. and Britain had been concerned with their own post-war economies and had remained extremely grateful for the Soviet Union's proactive role in ending World War II. It was Churchill's speech that changed the way the democratic West viewed the Communist East.

Though many people believe that Churchill coined the phrase "the iron curtain" during this speech, the term had actually been used for decades. Churchill's use of the phrase gave it wider circulation and made the phrase popularly recognized as the division of Europe into East and West.

Questions:

1. What was the significance of the “iron curtain”? The Berlin Wall

After Communist East Germany and democratic West Germany formed in 1949, tens of thousands of East Germans left their country by crossing from East Berlin to West Berlin. Some wanted to live in a free, democratic nation, while others simply crossed the border in search of work. By 1961, as many as 1,000 people a day were making the daily trip between their homes in East Germany to jobs in West Berlin. To stop this exodus, East Germany began erecting a tall barrier between the two halves of the city. This barrier, known as the Berlin Wall, was heavily guarded. Anyone attempting to cross it risked being shot by East Germany guards. The Berlin Wall succeeded in slowing the flight of East Germans to West Germany. It also came to symbolize the brutality of the Communist system.

Questions:

1. Why was West Germany thriving while East Germany was failing? 2. Why were East Germans shot for crossing the border into West Germany? Text Book A Text Book A

Upset by the fast and astonishing growth of the power of the Republic, the Upset by the fast and astonishing growth of the power of the Republic, the American invaders hastened the preparation of an aggressive war in order to American invaders hastened the preparation of an aggressive war in order to destroy it in its infancy....The American imperialists furiously carried out the war destroy it in its infancy....The American imperialists furiously carried out the war project in 1950....The American invaders who had been preparing the war for a project in 1950....The American invaders who had been preparing the war for a long time, alongside their puppets, finally initiated the war on June 25th of the long time, alongside their puppets, finally initiated the war on June 25th of the 39th year of the Juche calendar. That dawn, the enemies unexpectedly attacked the 39th year of the Juche calendar. That dawn, the enemies unexpectedly attacked the North half of the Republic, and the war clouds hung over the once peaceful North half of the Republic, and the war clouds hung over the once peaceful country, accompanied by the echoing roar of cannons. Having passed the 38th country, accompanied by the echoing roar of cannons. Having passed the 38th parallel, the enemies crawled deeper and deeper into the North half of the parallel, the enemies crawled deeper and deeper into the North half of the Republic...the invading forces of the enemies had to be eliminated and the Republic...the invading forces of the enemies had to be eliminated and the threatened fate of our country and our people had to be saved. threatened fate of our country and our people had to be saved. Text Book B Text Book B

When the overthrow of the South Korean government through social confusion When the overthrow of the South Korean government through social confusion became too difficult, the North Korean communists switched to a stick-and-carrot became too difficult, the North Korean communists switched to a stick-and-carrot strategy: seeming to offer peaceful negotiations, they were instead analyzing the strategy: seeming to offer peaceful negotiations, they were instead analyzing the right moment of attack and preparing themselves for it. The North Korean right moment of attack and preparing themselves for it. The North Korean communists prepared themselves for war. Kim Il-sung secretly visited the Soviet communists prepared themselves for war. Kim Il-sung secretly visited the Soviet Union and was promised the alliance of the Soviets and China in case of war. Union and was promised the alliance of the Soviets and China in case of war. Finally, at dawn on June 25th, 1950 the North began their southward aggression Finally, at dawn on June 25th, 1950 the North began their southward aggression along the 38th parallel. Taken by surprise at these unexpected attacks, the army of along the 38th parallel. Taken by surprise at these unexpected attacks, the army of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) fought courageously to defend the liberty of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) fought courageously to defend the liberty of the country....The armed provocation of the North Korean communists brought the the country....The armed provocation of the North Korean communists brought the UN Security Council around the table. A decree denounced the North Korean UN Security Council around the table. A decree denounced the North Korean military action as illegal and as a threat to peace, and a decision was made to help military action as illegal and as a threat to peace, and a decision was made to help the South. The UN army constituted the armies of 16 countries—among them, the the South. The UN army constituted the armies of 16 countries—among them, the United States, Great Britain and France—joined the South Korean forces in the United States, Great Britain and France—joined the South Korean forces in the battle against the North. battle against the North.  According to each textbook, how did the Korean War start?  According to each textbook, how did the Korean War start?  Which of these textbooks do you find more trustworthy? Why?  Which of these textbooks do you find more trustworthy? Why?  Where else would you look in order to figure out how the Korean War  Where else would you look in order to figure out how the Korean War started? started?  Which textbook comes from North Korea? Which comes from South  Which textbook comes from North Korea? Which comes from South Korea? Korea?