The USA and the USSR both wanted to influence developments in Europe after the Second World War.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2021). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] It was designed so that the member states agreed to defend each other if one of them was attacked.
2. [1] Its purpose was for the West to stand up to the Soviet Union.
3. [1] It was to protect the West against Soviet invasion.
4. [1] It was to protect countries in Western Europe, after the Soviet Union had taken over countries in Eastern Europe.
5. [1] It allowed the USA to have missile sites close to the Soviet border.
6. [1] Its purpose was to stand up to communism.
7. [6] The USSR and the West disagreed on Germany's future primarily because the USSR feared a revived, strong Germany attacking again, given the immense damage it suffered during the war. Stalin aimed to strip Germany of its industrial capacity to prevent its recovery and developed communist states in Eastern Europe as a buffer against the West. Conversely, the West, particularly the USA, viewed the USSR as a hostile power and wanted a strong, democratic Germany to act as a bulwark against communist expansion. This fundamental difference in strategic priorities and fears led to a deadlock over Germany's post-war fate.
8. [1] The USSR thought Germany should pay huge reparations for invading Russia.
9. [1] The USSR wanted more reparations from Germany to help it rebuild after the war.
10. [1] The West regarded the USSR as a hostile power and wanted a strong Germany to stop communist expansion.
11. [1] The USSR did not want to be threatened by a strong Germany again.
12. [1] Truman took a tougher line over Germany than Roosevelt.
13. [10] There is a strong argument that the USA offered the Marshall Plan primarily to help its own economy. The plan envisioned that as European economies recovered with US aid, they would create a large demand for American goods, boosting US industry and creating jobs. Without this recovery, impoverished Western Europe would not be able to trade effectively with the US, hindering American post-war prosperity. OR However, a compelling counter-argument suggests the Marshall Plan's main purpose was to protect Western Europe from the spread of communism. Truman feared that persistent poverty and instability in post-war Europe would lead to widespread uprisings and increased support for communist movements. By economically revitalizing Western Europe, the USA aimed to stabilize these countries, provide jobs, and improve living standards, thereby removing incentives for people to turn to communism.
14. [1] I agree. The US needed markets for its exports.
15. [1] The Marshall Plan would let Europe buy American goods.
16. [1] I disagree. The US wanted to stop communism spreading across the rest of Europe.
17. [1] I disagree. The US wanted to help Europe recover after the war.
18. [1] I disagree. The real reason was that the US wanted to control Western Europe.