Question

Which two examples illustrate successful efforts by the United States to support Europe during the Cold War?

Answer 1

• The Marshall Plan: was a program of US economic aid to Western European countries after World War II. This plan proved to be efficient and secured high rates of economic growth for Western European countries in the decades following the end of World War II. The plan also served to create the basis for the so-called Welfare State, which was to be attacked in the 1970s. In addition, the Marshall Plan made it possible to transnationalize Western capitalism, one of the reasons for the victory of the US influence in the Cold War.
• The Berlin Airlift: The Berlin blockade became one of the biggest crises of the Cold War, triggered when the Soviet Union interrupted rail, road and waterway access to the city of West Berlin. His goal was to force the western powers to leave, thus giving Soviet control over the whole city. In response, the Western allies organized the Berlin airlift to transport supplies to the people in West Berlin. The United States Air Force and the British Royal Air Force made more than 200,000 flights in a year, with up to 4,700 tons of supplies daily, such as fuel and food for Berliners.