Marshall Plan

The largest recipient of Marshall's Plan money was the United Kingdom (~26%), followed by France (18%) and West Germany (11%); along with 15 other nations including Italy, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, Turkey and Denmark which also go a lesser degree of help. Unfortunately, the Soviet Union refused Plan benefits, and also blocked benefits to Eastern Bloc countries, such as East Germany and Poland. This angered some officials in Poland and the GDR.

The background
The Berlin airlift the increased the perception among many Europeans that the Soviets posed a new danger, helping to prompt the entry into NATO of Portugal (fascist), Iceland (weak), Italy (communist insurgency), Denmark (weak) and Norway (bordered the USSR). the issues surrounding the Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 also disturbed the W. Germany, the UK and the USA.

The post-war animosities between Germans and the occupying nations of Britain, France and the United States, were greatly reduced by the airlift out of a mixture of common interests, shared values and mutual respect in the face of Soviet aggression.

For years Britain had supported Greece, but was now near bankruptcy due to the Second World War and was thus forced to end all meaningful involvement in Greece. This is why Britain formally requested the United States take over its role in supporting Greece during the February of 1947. Yugoslavia and Bulgaria had also got plans to spread communism to Greece, conquer Albania and set up a Yugoslav puppet state in Greek Macedonia.

President Truman stated to his political opponents in the U.S. during crisis of the Greek Civil War of 1946–1949 that if Greece and Turkey did not receive the aid that they both urgently needed, they would inevitably fall to communism or be over run by their communist neighbours, with very grave consequences throughout the region. Both were also be treated equally despite Greece being in more need of help since he id not want to inflame Greco-Turkish rivalries either. The Republicans who controlled Congress and agreed to send $400 million in American money, but no military forces or material aid, to the region. Greece and Turkey the military alliance joined NATO in 1952 since it guaranteed their protection from communist invasion and terrorism.

The results
The USA had

Links

 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Czechoslovak_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat
 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truman_Doctrine
 * 1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Blockade