Truman Doctrine
Truman DoctrineThe Truman Doctrine was the impetus for the change in United States foreign policy,
from
isolationist to internationalists; thus we were drawn into two wars of containment and into
world affairs. The Truman Doctrine led to a major change in U.S. foreign policy from its
inception - aid to Turkey and Greece - to its indirect influence in Korea and Vietnam. The
aftermath of World War II inspired the U.S. to issue a proclamation that would stem
Communist influence throughout the world. However, our zeal in that achievement sent our
soldiers to die in Vietnam and Korea for a seemingly futile cause.
It must be the policy of the U.S. to support free peoples. This is no more than a
frank recognitions that totalitarian regimes imposed on free peoples . . .
undermine the foundations of . . . peace and security of the United States.
The Truman Doctrine would change the foreign policy of the United States and the world.
This policy would first go in aid to support the democratic regimes in Turkey and Greece.
These
nations were being threatened by Soviet-supported rebels seeking to topple the government
and install a Communist regime. The Soviets were also making extreme territorial demands
especially concerning the Dardanelles.
A direct influence of this Doctrine was, of course, the Marshall Plan. The Marshall
Plan
was designed to give aid to any European country damaged during World War II. It
tremendously helped ravaged European nations such as Italy and France. By helping them
economically, the Marshall Plan indirectly helped to stem growing Communist sentiment in
these countries.
The process whereby the Truman Doctrine came to fruition was a long and arduous one.
After World War II, the Soviet Union and the United States stood at the pinnacle of world
power. By the late ’40’s, the U.S.S.R. had caught up to the United States’ nuclear weapons
programs. In addition, they were very land-hungry. Throughout Russia’s history, they have
been in search of a port - a quest advanced further by Peter the Great and Catherine the
Great. The Soviets in that respect were direct threats to their non-Communist neighbors:
Greece, Turkey, and Iran.
In Iran, the U.S.S.R. was not evacuating Iran’s northern provinces despite entreaties
from
the United States. In Turkey, the Soviet Union coveted several naval bases along the
Straits of Dardanelles. Further, they pressured Turkey for border cessions that Turkey had
taken from Russia after World...
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