Question

Explain how the Marshall Plan and the Berlin airlift aided the US in achieving their post-war goals.

Answer 1

Answer:

The Marshall plan helped prevent the turn to communism of Western Europe, which was a possiblity, especially in Italy and France, where communist parties where very strong.

The logic of the Marshall plan was to help rebuild and develop Western Europe, to show them the benefits of capitalism and a market economy, and prevent like that, the spread of communism from Eastern Europe.

This goal was achieved because no Western European country turned to communism since the end fo the World War, even when socialist and communist parties got to power.

The goal of the Berlin airlift was to prevent a shortage of goods in West Berlin after the Soviet Union blocked supplies to the city.

The Soviet Union wanted to force the US to abandon the city by blocking Berlin, since the Soviet Union dominated all areas sorrounding Berlin. However, the US was able to keep control of West Berlin by supplying the city through air.

Maintaining control of West Berlin was very important for the US for both strategic and symbolic reasons, and the success of the Berlin airlift was a crucial part of the strategy.