HIS344Y1 Lecture Notes - Marshall Plan, Western Europe, Cominform
Document Summary
Series of misunderstandings & misinterpretations of each other"s action. What eventually set the us and ussr against each other was three crucial documents/events. The long telegram : depicted soviets as set on world domination (ideology dictated policy) and seen as a challenge to british prestige and capitalist system. Looking at soviet"s economy, they were in no position to wage another war. Britain was also broke and in no position to challenge the soviets: both misread: saw in the other a desire to take over the rest of the world. 1947 by this point, the european situation was at a critical level. Germany on the verge of starvation and europe divided into two hostile camps: previous understanding that the ussr would be compensated for damages done by the nazis. In exchange, they would supply w germany food but they gave e germany (big food producer) to poland: extremely dire situation in germany.
