The Unknown Cold War. Film 3. The abduction of Europe… and the world

This film looks into the key events that kicked off the Cold War.

After the Second World War, US President Harry Truman wanted to establish America as the world’s leading power and contain the spread of communism. Consequently, the US launched a large-scale economic aid program for the devastated countries of Western Europe called the Marshall Plan, but the aid came with strings attached that primarily benefited the US.

America’s post-war strategy was unacceptable to the Soviet Union. It violated earlier Allied agreements on the demilitarization of Germany and the restoration of European sovereignty. Furthermore, Moscow did not want to lose its own influence in the region. Stalin warned that the new US plan would only divide Europe and could provoke further conflicts around the world.

Driven by an intense fear of communism, the US went on to fuel several other conflicts. One after another, wars broke out in Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East – all of which turned into bloody and prolonged struggles due to US involvement. The Berlin Wall was built, separating Germany into US and Soviet zones, and an Iron Curtain descended between Western and Eastern Europe.

Watch “The Unknown Cold War. Film 3. The abduction of Europe… and the world” on RTD website and on RT’s live feed. The time of the broadcast is available on RT’s schedule page.