9.4 Two Super Powers Emerge

After WWII the two superpowers were the United States and the Soviet Union. They emerged with unmatched military, political, and economic influence: the U.S. led Western Europe through the Marshall Plan, helped build global financial systems (IMF, World Bank, GATT), and formed NATO to contain Soviet influence; the USSR established control over Eastern Europe through COMECON and the Warsaw Pact and imposed centrally planned economies and political repression behind the Iron Curtain. That bipolar split shaped the Cold War—containment, the Truman Doctrine, the Berlin Airlift, and later détente—and is the core of Topic 9.4. For quick AP review, see the Topic 9.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/two-superpowers-emerge/study-guide/dAdAjyP3ACYnfKXch6jj) and practice over 1,000 AP-style questions at (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history). These sources map directly to CED keywords you’ll see on the exam.

They became enemies because WWII alliance was temporary and their goals after the war clashed. The US wanted open markets, democratic governments, and to contain Soviet expansion (Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan); the USSR wanted secure borders, reparations, and communist-friendly regimes in Eastern Europe (COMECON, later the Warsaw Pact). Ideological differences (capitalism vs. centralized planning/communism), a power vacuum in Europe, and mutual security fears turned cooperation into rivalry—think Berlin crises, the Iron Curtain, and competing military alliances like NATO. Economically and politically, that rivalry produced divided Europe, long-term Soviet control east of the Iron Curtain, and Western integration under US influence (IMF, World Bank, GATT). On the AP exam, this fits Topic 9.4 causes-and-consequences questions (short-answer, DBQ, or LEQ)—use specific examples (Marshall Plan, Berlin Airlift, NATO, Warsaw Pact) to support your claims. For a focused review, see the Topic 9.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/two-superpowers-emerge/study-guide/dAdAjyP3ACYnfKXch6jj) and try practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and the Warsaw Pact were rival Cold War military alliances that reflected Europe’s political split. NATO formed in 1949, led by the United States, to provide collective defense and bind Western democracies economically and militarily (KC-4.1.IV.C). The Warsaw Pact formed in 1955 as a Soviet-led alliance of Eastern Bloc states; it served as the USSR’s military instrument to integrate and control Eastern Europe alongside COMECON’s economic ties (KC-4.1.IV.D). Key differences: NATO was oriented toward collective security among Western democracies and supported by Marshall Plan/IMF-style economic links; the Warsaw Pact tied states into Soviet political/military dominance and central planning. Knowing these alliances helps you explain Cold War political and economic consequences on the AP exam (Unit 9). For a concise review, see the Topic 9.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/two-superpowers-emerge/study-guide/dAdAjyP3ACYnfKXch6jj), the unit overview (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9), and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

The "Iron Curtain" was a Cold War metaphor Churchill used (1946) to describe the political, military, and ideological division between Western Europe (aligned with the US) and Eastern Europe under Soviet control. Practically, it meant Soviet domination of Eastern states through the Warsaw Pact (military), COMECON (economic), and one-party communist governments that enforced central planning, extensive welfare systems, restricted emigration, and suppressed dissent (see KC-4.1.IV.D and KC-4.2.V.A in the CED). It wasn’t just a phrase—the division produced physical barriers (like the Berlin Wall), separate alliances (NATO vs. Warsaw Pact), and different economic systems that shaped European politics and everyday life for decades. For AP exam prep, connect the Iron Curtain to consequences listed in Topic 9.4 (alliances, Berlin Airlift/Wall, Marshall Plan, containment) and use the Fiveable Topic 9.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/two-superpowers-emerge/study-guide/dAdAjyP3ACYnfKXch6jj) plus practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history) to drill examples and DBQ/LEQ evidence.

The Marshall Plan (1948) created American influence in Western Europe by tying U.S. economic aid to political cooperation and economic recovery—key for Cold War containment. By providing $12+ billion in grants and loans, the U.S. helped rebuild industry, stabilize currencies, and revive trade, paving the way for the IMF/World Bank–style monetary order and freer trade (CED: world monetary and trade systems). Recipients had to coordinate investment and reduce trade barriers, which increased U.S. leverage over policy choices and encouraged Atlantic alliances like NATO. Economically strong, integrated Western Europe became less vulnerable to communist parties and Soviet-led COMECON influence in the East. For AP exam practice, connect Marshall Plan causes/effects to KC-4.1.IV.C (U.S. economic/political influence) and use sources when answering DBQs or LEQs. Review Topic 9.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/two-superpowers-emerge/study-guide/dAdAjyP3ACYnfKXch6jj) and try practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) was the Soviet-led economic organization (1949) that coordinated trade, production, and planning among Eastern Bloc countries. Members used central planning, state ownership, and agreed specialization so each country produced certain goods for the bloc. Unlike Western systems shaped by the Marshall Plan and institutions like the IMF, World Bank, and GATT/WTO, COMECON lacked market prices, private ownership, and multilateral free trade. That meant slower tech transfer, inefficiency, and dependence on Moscow for investment and markets—part of the economic domination east of the Iron Curtain described in the CED (KC-4.1.IV.D; KC-4.2.V.A). For AP prep, remember the contrast: COMECON = planned, state-run, bloc-specialization; Western system = market mechanisms, international monetary/trade institutions, mixed economies (Marshall Plan/IMF/World Bank/GATT). Review Topic 9.4 on Fiveable for more details (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/two-superpowers-emerge/study-guide/dAdAjyP3ACYnfKXch6jj) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

Eastern European uprisings in the 1950s–60s happened because Soviet-style rule couldn’t deliver political freedom or better living standards. After Stalin’s death Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization raised expectations for reform, but central planning and COMECON-linked economies still lagged, creating shortages and frustration (KC-4.2.V.A, KC-4.2.V.B). People also resented restrictions on speech, travel, religion, and national self-determination. Hungary (1956) and Czechoslovakia’s Prague Spring (1968) combined demands for political pluralism and economic reform with rising national and intellectual criticism of Moscow. Each revolt forced a Soviet response: military and political pressure reimposed control and led to the Brezhnev Doctrine, which justified intervention to preserve the socialist bloc (KC-4.2.V). On the AP exam you can use these examples in short answers or essays to explain Cold War political/economic consequences (see Topic 9.4 study guide for quick review: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/two-superpowers-emerge/study-guide/dAdAjyP3ACYnfKXch6jj). For practice, try Fiveable’s AP practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

In 1968 Czechoslovakia’s Prague Spring was a period when reformer Alexander Dubček loosened communist rule—legalizing freer press and speech, easing travel/emigration limits, and promoting “socialism with a human face.” These changes challenged the Soviet-style model of central planning, one-party control, and limited individual rights described in the CED (KC-4.2.V & KC-4.2.V.A). The USSR and Warsaw Pact allies intervened in August 1968 to reimpose hard-line control. Moscow justified the move with the Brezhnev Doctrine: the Soviet Union claimed it could intervene anywhere in the bloc to preserve socialist unity and prevent reforms that might spread (KC-4.2.V). They feared a domino effect of revolt, loss of COMECON/Warsaw Pact cohesion, and weakening of Soviet security and influence. For the AP exam, be ready to explain both the reforms and the Soviet rationale—this is a classic example of Eastern Bloc oscillation between limited reform and repression (see the Topic 9.4 study guide: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/two-superpowers-emerge/study-guide/dAdAjyP3ACYnfKXch6jj). For extra practice, try problems at https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history.

Start with a clear thesis that answers the prompt: e.g., “The Cold War reshaped Europe’s economies by linking Western recovery to U.S. institutions and aid (Marshall Plan, Bretton Woods) while binding Eastern states to Soviet central planning and COMECON, producing divergent growth, trade patterns, and living standards.” In your intro also contextualize briefly (post-1945 devastation, US containment, Soviet security concerns). Use at least four documents to support that claim: Marshall Plan/IMF/World Bank/GATT documents to show Western integration and growth; COMECON/Warsaw Pact sources to show planned economies, specialization, and shortages. Cite concrete effects: fast Western reconstruction, creation of NATO-backed economic alliances, freer trade and monetary systems vs. Eastern stagnation, restricted emigration, and consumer shortages. For two docs, analyze POV (U.S. officials promote stability/containment; Soviet texts defend planning/security). Add one outside fact (e.g., Marshall Plan spending, Bretton Woods institutions, or USSR five-year plan outcomes). Show nuance—short-term growth vs. long-term structural differences—to earn the DBQ complexity points. Use this Topic 9.4 study guide for sources and review (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/two-superpowers-emerge/study-guide/dAdAjyP3ACYnfKXch6jj). For unit review and 1000+ practice questions, see (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9) and (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

After WWII Western and Eastern Europe took very different economic paths. Western Europe rebuilt with U.S. aid and market institutions (Marshall Plan, IMF, World Bank, GATT), embraced mixed-market economies, free trade, and membership in NATO—leading to rapid consumer growth, rising living standards, and integration into world trade. Eastern Europe was tied to the Soviet Union through COMECON and the Warsaw Pact, used central planning, state ownership, and production specialization across the bloc; this gave full-employment and extensive social welfare but lower consumer choice, slower productivity growth, and repression of economic freedoms. Those differences explain Cold War political alignments and long-term economic outcomes (Western prosperity vs. Eastern stagnation until 1990). For AP prep, this comparison is a classic LEQ/SAQ topic—practice framing it as a contrast in economic institutions and consequences (see Topic 9.4 study guide: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/two-superpowers-emerge/study-guide/dAdAjyP3ACYnfKXch6jj). For more review and 1,000+ practice questions, use the unit page (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9) and practice bank (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization (like the 1956 “Secret Speech”) tried to roll back terror and loosen controls, but it failed partly because the Soviet system still relied on central planning, a powerful party bureaucracy, and incentives that didn’t reward productivity. Economic reforms (e.g., limited decentralization, Virgin Lands) couldn’t fix inefficiency, low consumer goods, or agricultural shortfalls. Political thaw raised expectations for more rights and travel, but reforms were inconsistent and threatened Soviet control over Eastern Europe. That combo prompted revolts (Hungarian Revolt 1956, later unrest culminating in the Prague Spring) that Moscow suppressed and then tightened control under the Brezhnev Doctrine. Consequences: short-term liberalization reversed, repressive stability across the Warsaw Pact, persistent economic stagnation, and increased nationalist pressures that helped erode communist legitimacy by the 1980s. For AP Euro, link these to KC-4.2.V and KC-4.2.V.B (repression vs. limited reform). For more review, see the Topic 9.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/two-superpowers-emerge/study-guide/dAdAjyP3ACYnfKXch6jj), the Unit 9 overview (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9), and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

Central planning was an economic system where the state—not markets or private owners—decided what was produced, how much, and at what price. In the Soviet bloc (COMECON), governments nationalized industry, set production quotas, collectivized farms, and specialized production among members of the bloc (CED KC-4.2.V.A). That concentrated power in the party-state and limited individual economic freedoms: no private enterprise, little consumer choice, chronic shortages, and few incentives to innovate. Those economic controls went hand-in-hand with political repression: censorship, surveillance, one-party rule, suppression of dissent, and restrictions on emigration (CED KC-4.2.V.A, KC-4.2.V). Failed reforms and popular protests (Hungary 1956, Prague Spring 1968) show how limits on rights sparked revolt and then reimposition of control (CED KC-4.2.V.B). For AP review see the Topic 9.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/two-superpowers-emerge/study-guide/dAdAjyP3ACYnfKXch6jj), the unit page (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9), and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

After WWII the US helped create the IMF and World Bank to stabilize global finance and speed reconstruction—and that gave the US huge economic leverage. The IMF promoted fixed exchange rates and short-term loans that prevented currency chaos; countries needing help had to follow policies compatible with US-led markets. The World Bank funded reconstruction and development (Marshall Plan logic on a global scale), directing capital, contracts, and standards toward Western-style, market-oriented rebuilding. Because the US was the largest funder and the dollar was central to the system, Washington set many rules for trade and lending—expanding US economic influence in Western Europe and beyond (CED KC-4.1.IV.C; keywords: International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Marshall Plan). For AP prep, know these institutions’ roles as part of the postwar world monetary and trade system; it’s a likely short-answer/LEQ connection. See the Topic 9.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/two-superpowers-emerge/study-guide/dAdAjyP3ACYnfKXch6jj) and practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history) for sample questions.

The Hungarian Revolt (1956) shows how Eastern Europe’s brief moves toward reform met Soviet repression. After Stalin’s death, Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization raised hopes for more freedom, but economic problems and limits on rights triggered a Hungarian uprising demanding political reform and freer elections. The USSR responded with military force—replacing the reformist government and restoring a pro-Soviet regime—demonstrating the pattern in the CED: Eastern bloc states experienced “oscillation between repression and limited reform” until communist collapse (KC-4.2.V and KC-4.2.V.B). For the AP exam, use the Hungarian Revolt as a key example in essays or short answers about Soviet control, the Warsaw Pact, and suppression of dissent. For a quick refresher, check the Topic 9.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/two-superpowers-emerge/study-guide/dAdAjyP3ACYnfKXch6jj) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

When WWII ended Europe split along the "Iron Curtain," creating two linked systems. In the West the U.S. used the Marshall Plan, NATO, and institutions like the IMF/World Bank to promote capitalist market recovery, representative governments, and civil liberties—so Western states rebuilt as liberal democracies with mixed-market economies. East of the Iron Curtain, the Soviet Union imposed one-party communist regimes, COMECON economic integration, and the Warsaw Pact military bloc. That led to central planning, state-owned industry, extensive social welfare but restricted individual rights, suppressed dissent, and limited emigration (see KC-4.2.V and KC-4.1.IV in the CED). Periodic attempts at reform (Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization, Prague Spring) met reimposition of Soviet control (Hungary 1956, Brezhnev Doctrine), so political systems stayed sharply divided until 1989–91. Useful for AP review: see the Topic 9.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-9/two-superpowers-emerge/study-guide/dAdAjyP3ACYnfKXch6jj) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).