What if the Eastern Bloc was included in the Marshall Plan
- Thread starter OAM47
- Start date
Interesting. A less intense Cold War is a possibility. So is a no-Warsaw-Pact TL and faster overthrow of Communism.
Last edited:
Marshall Plan and Stalin
We did offer the Marshall Plan to Eastern Europe and they were interested, especially the Czechs. Stalin and his goons said no. Stalin was 100% against East Bloc participation because he feared Western influence entering along with Western aid (esp. considering how little war-devasted USSR had to give at that time). He forced the Czechs to withdraw their initial expression of interest.
We did offer the Marshall Plan to Eastern Europe and they were interested, especially the Czechs. Stalin and his goons said no. Stalin was 100% against East Bloc participation because he feared Western influence entering along with Western aid (esp. considering how little war-devasted USSR had to give at that time). He forced the Czechs to withdraw their initial expression of interest.
My understanding is that a component of the Marshall Plan was that the US would oversee the reconstruction of the economy of the states involved. The USSR objected to this on the basis that the US would implement capitalist economies in all the states which signed on, and that the USSR was, y'know, not really keen on that.
Good point. While I personaly had more imagined just general chaos, because if Eastern Europe is having trouble staying loyal, it will be harder to wage war on the West (nuclear war being an exception of course
)The first questions we should ask is the timeframe, I think. Assuming aid is recieved from the get go, how long untill loyalties start to waver.
I could see it potentially being plausible if the USSR does not interfere with/rig the postwar elections in the eastern bloc. IIRC the only countries where the Communists had widepread support were Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, and possibly Albania - in the others the Soviets and local Communist parties rigged the elections to take power. If, though, you have an alt-Yalta where all parties agree to internationally observed elections rather than just elections, you'd have noncommunist majorities in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Poland. These could then potentially sign on the the Marshall Plan. Unfortunately, I cannot see the Soviet Union agreeing to a free and independent Poland in any circumstances other than the Western armies meeting the Soviet ones inside Soviet territory or on the Poland-Soviet border.
Having the Marshall Plan apply to Germany is somewhat easier, in that you could get the Allies to agree to Stalin's proposals for an Austria-style strictly neutral Germany.
Another thought is that you could change the way the Marshall Plan worked - if you remove the American oversight on how the reconstruction is effected, then it can be compatible with command economies and therefore palatable to the Communists. I don't know how the Plan was drawn up, but this would probably be the easiest way to get the Eastern Bloc on-board. This course would only strengthen the Eastern Bloc, though, as it would provide them with an undamaged and relatively well-organised and planned industrial base, and go some way to ending the postwar shortages which caused widespread discontent. Indeed, if I remember how it goes, the 1953 East German troubles were caused by shortages, and were the trigger for the removal of Beria as head of the USSR - if his policies appear to be working then the conservative wing of the Politburo may stick with him.
Having the Marshall Plan apply to Germany is somewhat easier, in that you could get the Allies to agree to Stalin's proposals for an Austria-style strictly neutral Germany.
Another thought is that you could change the way the Marshall Plan worked - if you remove the American oversight on how the reconstruction is effected, then it can be compatible with command economies and therefore palatable to the Communists. I don't know how the Plan was drawn up, but this would probably be the easiest way to get the Eastern Bloc on-board. This course would only strengthen the Eastern Bloc, though, as it would provide them with an undamaged and relatively well-organised and planned industrial base, and go some way to ending the postwar shortages which caused widespread discontent. Indeed, if I remember how it goes, the 1953 East German troubles were caused by shortages, and were the trigger for the removal of Beria as head of the USSR - if his policies appear to be working then the conservative wing of the Politburo may stick with him.
You are missing the point. We are assuming it is accepted as is. It is not very far down the ASB scale, and when looking at some of the other threads.
This discussion is WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!
That being said, a few modifications to the Plan are acceptable.
Nope no Warsaw Pact would dare try that while Stalin was alive, and Khrushchev was willing to crack down too, with MP aid the USSR and Warsaw Pact will be much better off. So if anything they'd last longer or not fall at all since both they and the USSR will be much better off...
Russia got lots of aid during the civil war to feed it's people the west didnt get any lasting foothold because of it. There's no chance of it happening here either.
I assume this requires a different Soviet leadership, either Stalin out of the way or having a personality transplant.
Now the the Soviet leadership were more subtle and a Cold war was avoided I have a question in my mind about whether the Marshall Plan, much as it eventually helped the US as well as Western Europe, would have got through Congress
Now the the Soviet leadership were more subtle and a Cold war was avoided I have a question in my mind about whether the Marshall Plan, much as it eventually helped the US as well as Western Europe, would have got through Congress