Marshall Aid
With the end of WWII, many European countries were economically crippled. This meant that USA had not export for its goods. Also USA believed that poverty and sufferings were the catalysts for communism. Therefore, George Marshall came up with the European Recovery Programme (Marshall Aid). The Marshall Aid provided billions of dollars to help the European countries. Of course, Stalin refused to accept it as he saw it as a attempt to win over his countries with money.
The allies had to decide if they should continue to occupy Germany or try to rebuild it. They choose the latter and in 1948, the zones of USA, Britain and France was combined to form West Germany. Thanks to the Marshall Aid, West Germany began to prosper. Seeing life in West Germany more attractive, East German people started to migrate over. This alarmed Stalin who
cut off West Germany from Berlin. With no way to deliver supplies to West Berlin, the allies faced two options:
- leave West Berlin
- airlift supplies to West Berlin
The allies chose the latter, even though there was a chance that their planes might be shot down. The planes were not shot down, but relationship with USSR became worse.
Probability of nuclear war was quite low, as even though USA and USSR did not like each other, USA saw no need to use nuclear weapons yet, and USSR did not possess nuclear weapons yet.
Sources:
http://westerncivguides.umwblogs.org/page/2/
http://www.johndclare.net/EC9.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Blockade
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan
History Notes.
