American policy after World War II aimed to strengthen capitalism and prevent the Soviet Union from spreading its totalitarian regime any further beyond the regions in which the Red Army were already situated. The policies introduced by America accelerated the division of Europe, such as the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. By 1949, the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) fortified Europe’s division. In March 1946, George Kennan sent an 8000 worded telegram to the U.S with his own views of the Soviet Union and the U.S policy towards them. This telegram highlighted that there would be no ‘peaceful coexistence’ between the U.S and the Soviet Union. Kennan stated that the Soviet Union would try and expand their sphere of influence and that they would only discontinue any expansionist idea’s if ‘strong resistance is encountered at any point’. Kennan’s telegram is an important factor in causing a divide in Europe as it was this, that caused the Truman administration to rely more on their economic and military strength rather than diplomacy. In February 1947, the British Embassy informed the U.S that they would no longer provide financial aid to Greece and Turkey. Both countries needed assistance and were at risk of falling under Soviet control, particularly Greece, who was in the middle of a civil war (Frazier 1984) Dean Acheson the Undersecretary of State presented members of congress with a theory known as ‘the domino theory’ that if one nation
