Explain why relations between the USA and USSR worsened in the years 1947-49.

The USA and USSR had been allies during WWII, but this relationship soon broke down and worsened in the late 1940s. One of the main reasons for this was the announcement of the Truman Doctrine in March 1947 which stated that America would follow a policy of containment, committing the US to preventing the spread of communism throughout Europe, excluding direct military action. President Truman’s Doctrine made it clear that the US and USSR were enemies rather than allies. Furthermore, Truman’s administration implemented the Marshall Plan in April 1948 which offered European countries economic aid with the hope that this would prevent them from turning to communism out of financial desperation in the aftermath of WWII. The Soviet Union denounced the Plan as ‘American imperialism’ and Stalin forbade his satellite states, such as Hungary and Bulgaria from accepting the aid, essentially dividing Europe into two camps: the Western bloc and Eastern bloc. Relations also worsened between the USA and USSR in this period as they did not agree on how to run Germany. Germany and Berlin had been divided into zones after WWII and placed under the control of the US, USSR, Britain, and France respectively. The US, Britain and France formed ‘Trizonia’ and began to rebuild Germany, establishing a German Assembly, a constitution and a new currency (the Deutschmark). The USSR was not involved in these key changes and Stalin feared America’s growing influence in Europe. In response, Stalin ordered the Berlin Blockade in June 1948. Stalin blockaded Berlin from the rest of Germany, restricting access to supplies in order to demonstrate that a divided Germany could not function. The blockade failed due to the US flying in tonnes of supplies to Berlin, forcing Stalin to lift the blockade in May 1949. Although the blockade was lifted, it had caused a significant rift between the US and USSR, worsening their relationship and making it clear that they could not come to an agreement over Germany.