By 1947, the U.S. had developed a clear policy of containment toward the Soviet Union, striving to prevent the spread of communism through economic, diplomatic, and military measures. Through the Marshall Plan the U.S. used nearly $13 billion in aid to fight communism by helping war-torn Europe return to prosperity. The Cold War with the Soviet Union shaped U.S. foreign policy after World War II. In South Asia, the United States' main objective was to prevent the spread of Soviet influence to the newly independent India and to newly created Pakistan, and so it courted both countries with offers of humanitarian and military aid. The Cold War affected domestic policy two ways: socially and economically. Socially, the intensive indoctrination of the American people led to a regression of social reforms. Economically, enormous growth spurred by industries related to war was aided by heavy government expansion. As the Soviets tightened their grip on Eastern Europe, the United States embarked on a policy of containment to prevent the spread of Soviet and communist influence in Western European nations such as France, Italy, and Greece.
