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Marshall feared that their poverty might make them vulnerable to Soviet wooing, causing them to attach them to communism. America, therefore, felt that it had to preempt potential Russian manipulation by stepping in there first. Although Marshall emphasized that the program was open to all European nations, he structured it in such a way (by making capitalism part of its expected character and linchpin of performance) that it effectively debarred communist-related nations from participating.
A few years later, in 1950 Truman expanded his strategy of containment by issuing a report (the NSC-68) that stressed employment of U.S. military to impede communist expansion. Observed the National Security Council:
It was and continues to be cardinal in this policy that we possess superior overall power in ourselves or in dependable combination with other likeminded nations. One of the most important ingredients of power is military strength (Shmoop.com)
To that end, the NSC called for dramatically increased taxes for miliatry purposes and for significat militray buildip.
Describe the effects of these diplomatic efforts for the U.S. And other countries
Russia reacted violently with Soviet Foreign Minister VM Molotov walking out of the conference and forbidding the Soviet bloc from participating. Meanwhile, sixteen Western European nations accepted the aid. The Marshall Plan, as originally intended by America, rebounded for America's benefit, as Western European nations not only found themselves bound by principles of duty and gratitude to America but used their money / aid to buy American goods. America thus consolidated its economic strength and reputation of power nation as a result of this Plan. In fact, the Marshall Plan may quite likely have...
On the other hand, it also lost its dynasty and gained its critics by the Republicans insisting that containment was insufficient. USSR was perceived by America to be too much to a threat to be simply contained by passive means. Eisenhower demanded aggression in order to 'roll back' Communism. Criticism was reinforced by Truman's inability in 'capturing' China from Communist invasion and for losing the Korean War. The Trumann regime, therefore, despite all its successes was shortly after replaced by the Eisenhower era with Eisenhower defeating Adlai Stevenson, the democratic candidate.
Offner (2011) summarizes Truman's Cold War interventions as advancing post war reconstruction in Japan and in parts of Europe, but otherwise intensifying Soviet-American conflict and creating division in Europe, whilst resulting in costly Asian wars that consequented in massive loss of human lives. The result of Truman's Cold War years was ambiguous.
References
Gaddis, J.L. (2005) The Cold War: a new history. New York: Penguin Press
Offner, A. (2011). President Truman and the Origins of the Cold War
BBC
www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/truman_01.shtml
http://www.shmoop.com/causes-of-cold-war/diplomacy.html
Cold War Truman 1945-1953 and expansion of communism As the 21 century approaches, there was every indication on the firmness of Present Harry S. Truman's reputation on the subject of his stewardship of foreign policy even though, as luck would have it, he took over Oval Office in the year 1945 inexperienced in affairs of the world. As he was approaching the end of his reign in the White House, there were
Cold War was a period of great danger and international tension, brought on by the power struggles between the United States and the Soviet Union. The communist ideology -- which the Soviets were aggressively trying to spread through Europe and elsewhere -- was seen as an enormous threat to the U.S., while the capitalist / democratic ideology was seen by the Soviets as a threat to their way of life
As counties in Europe began to align themselves behind the Soviet sphere of influence or the U.S. - Western influence each side looked to fortify their positions. For the U.S. this meant the development of the policy of containment of the Soviet advance. Containment developed along a number of varying lines including political diplomacy, military expansion, and economic aid. President Truman articulated an economic aid package, the Truman Doctrine which
Cold War and Globalization The Cold War, and the U.S. And Asia and Globalization What was meant by the Cold War? Before defining the cold war, authors Bentley and Ziegler go into great depth to lay the foundation for the origins of the Cold War. More than sixty million people perished during WWII (965), including twenty million Soviets, fifteen million Chinese, six million Poles, four million Germans, two million Japanese, three hundred
Cold War began very shortly after the end of World War II when the Soviet Union built the Berlin Wall -- and made other moves in its campaign to spread communism -- and the United States and its allies worked to protect democratic states and to foster democratic advocacy in those states. It was called a "Cold War" because even though both super powers had ample nuclear capability to destroy
S.S.R., which would ostensibly eliminate the threat posed by the U.S.S.R.'s capabilities. The report takes on a tone almost encouraging that to happen. It was very much the public mood of the time that would have supported that initiative. That the world came so close to the use of nuclear confrontation during the Cuban Missile Crisis is indicative of this, and it was only the ability of JFK to resist