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Right. So they didn't forget to attach strings in Europe ( ever heard of Truman's doctrine?) but they somehow miraculously have forgotten to attach them in case with the USSR. Funny, really...
"The use of Marshall aid to pacify the working class was quite explicit. Following the announcement of the Marshall Plan, Communist Party members were excluded from the government in both Italy and France. The World Bank announced a loan to France a few hours after the sacking of the CP members from Cabinet in May 1947, making it crystal clear that Europe had to choose between having Communists in the government or receiving Marshall Aid"
"The US approached the problem of Germany in the same way: 'the political direction which 66 million Germans went might have a decisive effect on European future' said US State Department official in Germany Robert Murphy. British Labour Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin was told in no uncertain terms that if Britain wanted Marshall Aid, then he should back off with his ideas of “socialism” for Germany. In fact the entire political system in Germany was reconstructed according to US requirements. In June 1947, the Military Governor of the British occupation zone, General Robertson, established the German Zonal Trade Union Federation, and British trade union officials assisted in organising sixteen unions."
"In June, 1947, Truman and his new Secretary of State, George Marshall, began pushing what was called the European Recovery Program, which would become known as the Marshall Plan. The purpose of the plan was to create economic cooperation among the states of Europe and to stimulate economic growth in Europe. And there was some hope that creating hope and relieving misery would diminish the appeal of Marxist arguments and the appeal of communism among Europeans."
Sorry, the whole Europe couldn't be sold to the US $$$ and American ideas and neither it was meant to be.
lol I don't care if it was or wasn't sold to US $$$? Please tell me where I said I did? I feel like you're being confrontational to me and assuming I have opinions I actually don't have. I'm not even a capitalist I'm a social democrat. lol calm down.
I'm saying by not accepting that money the Eastern Bloc started off the Post War behind Western Europe and never quite caught up -- and it is clear that they never caught up in wealth or living standards.
Nobody forced Stalin to sign Ribbentropp-Molotov and invade Europe in 1939... Soviet Union was not a victim of WWII, it started it...
Nobody forced him, but he was not fool either.
It's not like he didn't try to negotiate the union with historical allies of Russia - England and France BEFORE signing pact with Germans, and he witnessed the Munich Agreement. Remember one thing; before Poland there was already Czechoslovakia.
Sorry, the whole Europe couldn't be sold to the US $$$ and American ideas and neither it was meant to be.
Yeah. Sure. That's why all of central Europe ran away from Russian protection at first opportunity.
Do you even realize how absurd your claims are? Soviet union practically occupied central Europe against wishes of the occupied countries. Don't you think central Europe had a right 1945 to decide its own faith????
Nobody forced him, but he was not fool either.
It's not like he didn't try to negotiate the union with historical allies of Russia - England and France BEFORE signing pact with Germans, and he witnessed the Munich Agreement. Remember one thing; before Poland there was already Czechoslovakia.
He didn't just sing the pact he helped Germany destroy Poland in 1945.
Then he attacked Finland and Romania.
lol I don't care if it was or wasn't sold to US $$$? Please tell me where I said I did? I feel like you're being confrontational to me and assuming I have opinions I actually don't have. I'm not even a capitalist I'm a social democrat. lol calm down.
Who told you I am all that nervous?
Quote:
I'm saying by not accepting that money the Eastern Bloc started off the Post War behind Western Europe and never quite caught up -- and it is clear that they never caught up in wealth or living standards.
Honestly, with Truman's doctrine in place it's already not so easy to determine who started what first ( after all the Communist parties in France or Italy were in place independently from Stalin, were they not? And the danger of communist takeover in Greece was happening independently from comrade Lenin or Stalin either.)
That's number one, and number two this "offered" to the Soviets aid by the State department wouldn't really have passed the congress to begin with.
( Another thing - I used to be staunch anti-communist, but now when I see the results of corporate take-over around the world, I am not all that sure...)
Honestly, with Truman's doctrine in place it's already not so easy to determine who started what first ( after all the Communist parties in France or Italy were in place independently from Stalin, were they not? And the danger of communist takeover in Greece was happening independently from comrade Lenin or Stalin either.)
That's number one, and number two this "offered" to the Soviets aid by the State department wouldn't really have passed the congress to begin with.
( Another thing - I used to be staunch anti-communist, but now when I see the results of corporate take-over around the world, I am not all that sure...)
No its very easy. In 1944 Stalin disregarded Polish government in exile (Britain) and installed his own, puppet government against the will of Poles. That's 1944 and not 1945. That and events in other central European countries pushed the west to start considering Stalin as enemy.
He didn't just sing the pact he helped Germany destroy Poland in 1945.
Then he attacked Finland and Romania.
He did?
As a member of the Axis, Romania joined the invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, providing equipment and oil to Nazi Germany as well as committing more troops to the Eastern Front than all the other allies of Germany combined. Romanian forces played a large role during the fighting in Ukraine, Bessarabia, Stalingrad, and elsewhere. In addition, Romanian troops were responsible for the persecution and massacre of 280,000 to 380,000 Jews inside and outside of Romania, though most Jews living within Romanian borders survived the Holocaust, albeit under harsh conditions.[2]
Yeah. Sure. That's why all of central Europe ran away from Russian protection at first opportunity.
Do you even realize how absurd your claims are? Soviet union practically occupied central Europe against wishes of the occupied countries. Don't you think central Europe had a right 1945 to decide its own faith????
It's called "collateral damage"; after all Russians didn't end up in Central Europe by accident.
I am not a big fan of a Russian boot all over Europe, but I can see why it happened.
[i]As a member of the Axis, Romania joined the invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, providing equipment and oil to Nazi Germany as well as committing more troops to the Eastern Front than all the other allies of Germany combined. Romanian forces played a large role during the fighting in Ukraine, Bessarabia, Stalingrad, and elsewhere.
Yes he did before 1941 and Barbarossa there was 1939 when Russia attacked Poland and 1940 when Soviet Russia attacked Finland and Romania stealing territories from both countries. Who attacked first?
Its hard for you to reject Soviet propaganda who never admited that Stalin was the aggressive side in WWII. Read this:
German–Soviet Axis talks
In October and November 1940, German–Soviet Axis talks occurred concerning the Soviet Union's potential entry as a fourth Axis Power. The negotiations included a two-day Berlin conference between Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov, Adolf Hitler and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, followed by both countries trading written proposed agreements. Germany never responded to a November 25, 1940, Soviet proposal, leaving the negotiations unresolved. Germany broke the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in June 1941 by invading the Soviet Union.
No its very easy. In 1944 Stalin disregarded Polish government in exile (Britain) and installed his own, puppet government against the will of Poles. That's 1944 and not 1945. That and events in other central European countries pushed the west to start considering Stalin as enemy.
Taking in consideration the history of relations between Russia and Poland ( and particularly the faith of thousands of Russian servicemen murdered in Polish camps back in 1919-20ies,) there is no surprise that Poland was not trusted by Stalin.
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