Post War

  

 Roosevelt surprised Stalin at Yalta when he claimed

Americans would not tolerate occupying Europe for

more than two years.  The one nation capable of 

preventing the Soviet takeover of all Europe would

just up and leave.  What a gift to Stalin were that true.

Western Europe lay devasted by war now, but it had

the ability to recover and become once again a

premier economic jewel of the planet.  

An Iron Curtain economy combined with the financial

and industrial resources of Britain, Germany, France,

Italy and Spain would present a formidable challenge

to America's economic global dominance.  

 Truman would do whatever it took to prevent

Russian control of all Europe.  The United States

would find itself outmatched economically were

they confronted by this hostile behemoth.

 The Communists gained prestige and credibility

for their courageous resistance to the Nazi

occupiers of their land.  In Third World countries

the Communists were identified as nationalists

fighting for independence from repression and

economic exploitation.  They were viewed as

champions of the people.

 It became obvious to Truman's people that Germany

was the key to recovery in Western Europe.

The German nation remained the industrial powerhouse

of Europe and it would be quickest to restore its factories

and assemble its highly skilled workforce.

 The U.S. fought to preserve democracy in Europe but

the Third World nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America

were often treated with a different set of priorities. 

The people of these lands were governed by

repressive regimes that only continued the practices

of colonial rule.  America found itself in partnership 

with dictators in order to prevent the nations' takeover

by communist revolutionaries. 

 MAD.  Mutual Assured Destruction.

A nuclear war would be unwinnable.

Civilization would be destroyed.

Survivors of the holocaust would envy the dead.

How does any leader navigate between surrender

and the likely destruction of organized humanity?

The nations would soon enough be tested

with just this threat.

*  *  *  *  *

©  Tom Taylor 

 OVER   EASY

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