March 19 - Notes

The Marshall Plan
- Truman administration linked economic policies with containment policy
- George Marshall proposed the Marshall Plan (successful):
Provided aid to stabilize European economy (industrial production quadrupled)
Improved Standards of Living; helped undermine left wing political parties in Western Europe
Restoring Germany's Economy
-June 1948 - US, Britain, France - plan to reform currency in their three sectors as a step towards merging the three zones into a German Republic
-Soviets were alarmed by the thought of a revitalized Germany
Russia Alarmed
-Russia cut off highway, railroad, water links between West Berlin and West Germany
-US and Britain responded with BERLIN AIRLIFT:
250,000 flights into Berlin between June 1948 and May 1949 when Soviets abandoned blockade
-Soviet's created German Democratic Republic out of East German sector and West Berlin survived as an enclave tied to the West
Election of 1948
-South Carolinian Strom Thurmond leaves democratic party and runs for president from the State's Rights OR Dixiecrat Party
-Thurmond protesting Truman's interest in Civil Rights
Cold War Events 1948-1949
-April 1949 - creation of NATO with US, Canada, and 10 Western European countries pledging that an attack on one was an attack on all
NATO called for economic, political, military cooperation
- 1949 - US backs Nationalist Chinese leader Chaing Kai Shek who was forced off Chinese mainland to Taiwan by Communist Mao Zedong
-NSC-68 (National Security Council) urged full scale effort to enlarge US power. Called for:
Quadrupling US defense spending
Endorsed economic pressure, more vigorous propaganda efforts, massive military buildup

*To go along with the notes today, Mr. G had us watch several video clips