GCSE · History · AQA · Spec 8145

Cominform and Comecon

The USA offered Europe money. Stalin's answer was to say no — and build two organisations of his own.

Cominform or Comecon — or both?

One American plan, two Soviet answers

Stalin set up two organisations in two years, and they are easy to blur. For each feature, tick Cominform, Comecon or both. Some really do belong to both — that's the trap. Guessing is fine: the check shows you where each one really goes.

A Cominform (Communist Information Bureau)
B Comecon (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance)

Set up by Stalin in response to the Marshall Plan
Set up in 1947
Set up in 1949
Let the USSR coordinate and control communist parties, so communists in other countries followed Soviet orders
Set up to provide aid to the communist countries of Eastern Europe
The USSR, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Romania all took part
Included the communist parties of France and Italy
Expelled Yugoslavia in 1948, after its leader Tito clashed with Stalin
At its first meeting, members rejected Marshall Plan aid under pressure from the USSR
Communist states were encouraged to trade with fellow members and to keep away from the USA and Western Europe

Where it all started

One plan, two readings

In June 1947 the USA offered Europe money. What was it really for? That depends on who you ask.

What was the Marshall Plan really for?

The American view

Announced by US Secretary of State George Marshall, June 1947

A programme of American economic aid to Western Europe — officially the European Recovery Plan.
The money would help countries recover from the Second World War.
Helping countries recover was meant to stop communism spreading.

Stalin's view

An aggressive attempt to extend American influence.
Truman wanted to divide Europe and create an American economic empire.
The USA would use its wealth to control countries, in Europe and around the world.

People in the USSR had a name for this: 'dollar imperialism'.

Common ground

Both sides agreed on what the plan was: American money, offered to Europe after the Second World War. They clashed over what it was FOR.

Compare the positions, then weigh them yourself.

Why this matters for the rest of the lesson

Stalin acted on his reading. Because he saw the aid as a tool of American control, he would not let the communist states accept it — and that decision is where both of his new organisations come from.

Comparing 2 positions: The American view, Stalin's view.

Watch out: 'Dollar imperialism' is the Soviet phrase. It describes how people in the USSR saw American aid — not how the Americans described their own plan.

Why a second organisation?

Reason it through

Stalin already had Cominform. Why did he need Comecon as well?

Link 1 of 4

First link · your turn

Cominform's members met for the first time. What did they do about the Marshall Plan?

Locked — reveal the link above first

Comecon: aid or control?

What was Comecon, really?

Comecon was set up in 1949 so the USSR could provide aid to the communist countries of Eastern Europe.

Which of these is closest to what you think right now?

It was simply the Soviet version of the Marshall Plan — generous help, nothing more.It was a control tool from day one — the aid was just a cover story.Comecon and Cominform were really the same organisation under two names.It started as aid, then was increasingly used by the USSR to control the economies of its members.

How sure are you?

I'm sureI think soI'm guessing

It was simply the Soviet version of the Marshall Plan — generous help, nothing more.

This is a common misconception

Half right. Comecon did begin as a way for the USSR to give financial support to communist countries. But 'nothing more' is where it goes wrong: the USSR increasingly used Comecon as a way of controlling the economies of Eastern Europe.

It was a control tool from day one — the aid was just a cover story.

This is a common misconception

Closer, but the aid was real. Keeping control was on Stalin's mind from the start — he knew that without an alternative to Marshall aid, holding on to these states would be difficult. But Comecon's main purpose was to provide that aid. Using it to control their economies is what grew over time.

Comecon and Cominform were really the same organisation under two names.

This is a common misconception

Easy to think, because they share a creator and a trigger. But they did different jobs: Cominform controlled communist parties, while Comecon dealt with the economies of communist states — first as aid, then increasingly as control.

It started as aid, then was increasingly used by the USSR to control the economies of its members.

This matches the evidence

Exactly — and you need both halves. It began as financial support for the communist countries of Eastern Europe, and it became more and more a way for the USSR to control their economies.

Comecon: born as aid, increasingly used for control. An answer that gives only one half is only half an answer.

Put it together

How did this split Europe in two?

Explain how the Marshall Plan and Stalin's response to it divided Europe. [4 marks]

Your answer

0 words · your answer stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

The mark scheme

The Marshall Plan bound the countries of Western Europe to supporting the USA. (1 mark)
Cominform extended Soviet control politically: communist parties had to follow orders from the USSR. (1 mark)
Comecon (and Cominform) kept communist states trading with each other and away from the USA and Western Europe — an economic split, and Comecon was increasingly used to control Eastern Europe's economies. (1 mark)
The result: Europe divided politically and economically into two rival camps, with Cold War tension rising — Cominform members even spread propaganda comparing the USA to Nazi Germany. (1 mark)

Model answer

The Marshall Plan tied Western Europe to the USA, because the countries that took American aid were bound to supporting it. Stalin answered by tightening his hold on the East. Through Cominform the USSR controlled communist parties, and its members became openly hostile, spreading propaganda that compared the USA to Nazi Germany. Through Comecon, communist states were pushed to trade with each other rather than with the West, and the USSR increasingly used it to control their economies. So Europe ended up split both politically and economically into two rival camps, which made Cold War tension worse.

Two plans, two camps: American aid pulled the West towards the USA, and Cominform and Comecon pulled the East towards the USSR.

WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED

A quick recap of today's lesson.

How Stalin answered the Marshall Plan — twice — and helped split Europe in two.

What you need to know

Stalin saw the Marshall Plan as an aggressive attempt to build an American economic empire — 'dollar imperialism' — and did not allow communist states to accept it.
Cominform (Communist Information Bureau), 1947: the USSR's way to coordinate and control communist parties across Europe. Its nine first members included the parties of France and Italy; Yugoslavia was expelled in 1948 after Tito clashed with Stalin.
Comecon (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance), 1949: set up to provide aid to the communist countries of Eastern Europe, because Stalin knew that without an alternative to Marshall aid it would be hard to keep control of them.
Comecon started as financial support but was increasingly used by the USSR to control the economies of Eastern Europe.
The Marshall Plan bound Western Europe to the USA; Cominform and Comecon extended Soviet control over Eastern Europe. Together they divided Europe into two rival camps and raised Cold War tension.

The big picture

In June 1947 the USA offered Europe economic aid through the Marshall Plan, but Stalin saw it as 'dollar imperialism' — the USA using its wealth to take control. He responded with two organisations. Cominform (1947) let the USSR control communist parties across Europe, and at its first meeting its members rejected Marshall aid. Comecon (1949) gave the communist states of Eastern Europe aid in its place — and was increasingly used to control their economies — so Europe split into two rival camps.

Key points

1Stalin answered the Marshall Plan with two organisations.

2Cominform = parties. Comecon = economies.

31947 Cominform · 1948 Yugoslavia expelled · 1949 Comecon.

4Refusing Marshall aid is WHY Comecon was needed.

5Comecon: began as aid, became a tool of control.

6Both kept trade inside the communist bloc — and Europe split in two.

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Worked example

Problem

In two sentences, state the main difference between Cominform and Comecon.

⚠ Watch out

Swapping them over. Cominform did not hand out aid, and Comecon did not run communist parties — parties = Cominform, economies = Comecon.

🧠

Memory hook

INFORM the parties, then fund the ECONomies: Cominform (1947) kept communist parties in line; Comecon (1949) replaced the aid Stalin had made them refuse.

✓

Check yourself

Cover the page. Can you say why refusing the Marshall Plan made Comecon necessary, in one 'because' sentence?

Flashcards

(14)

What was the Marshall Plan, and when was it announced?

American economic aid to Western Europe (officially the European Recovery Plan), announced by US Secretary of State George Marshall in June 1947.

What did the USA intend the Marshall Plan to achieve?

Help countries recover from the Second World War — and so stop the spread of communism.

How did Stalin see the Marshall Plan?

As an aggressive attempt to extend American influence: he believed Truman wanted to divide Europe and create an American economic empire.

What did people in the USSR mean by 'dollar imperialism'?

American attempts to create an economic empire, using US wealth to control countries.

What does 'Cominform' stand for, and when was it set up?

The Communist Information Bureau, set up by Stalin in 1947.

What was Cominform's main purpose?

To let the USSR coordinate and control communist parties across Europe, so communists in other countries followed Soviet orders.

Name Cominform's nine original members.

The communist parties of the USSR, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Yugoslavia, France and Italy.

What happened at Cominform's first meeting?

Under Soviet pressure, members rejected Marshall Plan aid — then began spreading propaganda comparing the USA to Nazi Germany.

Why was Yugoslavia expelled from Cominform in 1948?

Its leader, Tito, clashed with Stalin.

What does 'Comecon' stand for, and when was it set up?

The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, set up by Stalin in 1949.

What was Comecon's main purpose when it was founded?

To provide aid to the communist countries of Eastern Europe.

How did Comecon's role change over time?

It began as financial support, but the USSR increasingly used it to control the economies of Eastern Europe.

How were Comecon members encouraged to trade?

With one another — and they were discouraged from trading with the USA or Western Europe.

What was the overall significance of the Marshall Plan, Cominform and Comecon?

They divided Europe politically and economically into two rival camps and increased Cold War tension.

Tap any card to flip it, or use Study as deck to go through them one at a time. In the full lesson these run as a spaced-repetition deck — you rate each card Hard, Good or Easy and the tricky ones keep coming back until they stick.

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One American plan, two Soviet answers

One plan, two readings

The American view

Stalin's view

What was Comecon, really?

How did this split Europe in two?

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