The Truman Doctrine

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The Truman Doctrine

The thirty-third president of the United States initiated great change within our country. Harry S. Truman, the creator of the Truman Doctrine created an era of change in United States foreign policy. Truman was the first to create a foreign policy in order to contain Communism, a policy that has been called, 'the hallmark of the Cold War.'1 The Truman Doctrine led to major changes in the U.S., from its inception, to its influence in the Vietnam War.

The Soviet Union took advantage of Eastern Europe's situation in the aftermath of World War II. It began to take control of many of these countries and install Communist governments. The Soviet Union wanted to use these countries as buffer zones to protect their sovereignty in the future. Two of the countries that they were attempting to take over were Turkey and Greece. Early in 1947 the British said they could no longer support the Greek government. This posed as a threat for the Soviet Union to take over Greece, and then easily move into the Middle East. In 1947 president Harry Truman declared that the United States must support countries who were resisting outside influence to attempt to take away their independence. The United States chose to follow a policy of containment, helping those nations that had not already fallen to communism, only helping those who were currently in danger. Truman thought that one of the greatest threats to the United States would be the fall of Greece and Turkey to communism. 2

The Actual Doctrine

Truman created a plan to help the nations that were in danger of a communist takeover. He created a document known as the Truman Doctrine. This doctrine asked congress for four hundred million dollars to g...

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..., David. Truman.571.

Bibliography

- McCullough, David. Truman.New York: Simon and Schuster,1992, 520-575

- Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia. 1993-1997 , Microsoft Corporation, "Truman, Harry

S."

- Presidential Biographies: Harry S. Truman (1945-1953). Online. Available from

http://americanpresidents.com/truman/html. Available 11 march 1999.

- The Truman Doctrine. Online. Available from http://

english.upenn.edu/afilreis/50s/truman-doctrine.html. Accessed 11 March 1999.

- The Truman Doctrine. Security Assistance Management Office. Online. Available from

http:// www-acala1.ria.army.mil/ACALA.samo/truman/htm. Accessed 11 March 1999.

- Truman, Harry S. The Truman Doctrine. Online. Available from http://

longman/awl.com/nash.primarysource_27_1.htm. Accessed 11 March 1999.

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