Before World War 2 ended, the three main powers (Great Britain, United States, and Soviet Union) met to discuss the post-war reorganization of Europe. After the war, Germany was split into two countries (East and West Germany). The Soviet Union occupied eastern Europe and the west was influenced by Great Britain, France, and the United States.
When the Soviet Union blockaded Berlin, the U.S. made the decision to drop needed supplies into the city from an airlift. This was known as the Berlin Airlift. President Truman did not want Berlin to fall under Soviet control but was not willing to send ground troops to incite a battle with the communists. Stalin realized that the west would not abandon West Berlin and lifted the blockade in 1949.
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Secretary of State George Marshall urged the passage of the Marshall Plan, which gave billions of dollars to help nations recover from the devastation caused by World War II. The hope was that countries which received aid from the U.S. would not turn to the Soviet Union for assistance.
The East German government under the influence of the Soviet Union began building the Berlin Wall. The amount of people fleeing from East Germany to West Germany was an embarrassment. Germans could no longer cross from one side of the city to the other. Contact between family and friends were cut off.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Warsaw Pact was established as opposing military alliances to provide collective security among its members. NATO members benefited from an alliance with the U.S. due to our country's economic stability and military capabilities. Warsaw Pact members were aligned with the Soviet Union. Communists were able to show their influence and power when communism spread throughout China and the Soviets successfully tested their first atomic bomb.