In scaring "the hell out of the American people ", Truman unleashed a fervor that would become part of American life and modify existing relationships with the outside world. The Cold War's rhetoric and anti-communist propaganda dictated foreign policy. Furthermore, it is imperative to acknowledge that t he Soviets never received any monetar y assis tan ce. Congress feared a return to recession and misuse of funds and placed drastic limits on lend-lease support pointing out that requests for loans after the war would meet deep uncertainty. As the war ended, enthusiasm turned to skepticism when American diplomats perceived a toughening of Soviet policy. From the Soviet perspective, American interests easily persuaded Stalin to petition for a loan ran ging from $1 bi llion in 1 943 to $10 b illion in 1 945. However, the issue of European economic reconstruction was entirely in the hands of the Americans, who posse ssed the strongest economy during and after the conflict. The American ideology was that a strong German industry would be a key to postwar commerce and trade releasing the United States from supporting the German economy for an extended period.
Interestingly, American business interests and policymakers agreed but with differed reasoning.
The Soviets argued that a pastoral Germany would be unable to make war reparations.
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