the policy of President Truman, as advocated in his address to Congress on March 12, 1947, to provide military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey and, by extension, to any country threatened by Communism or any totalitarian ideology.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
The Truman Doctrine was a United States foreign policy established by President Harry S. Truman in 1947. It was intended to prevent the spread of Communism in the aftermath of World War II by providing U.S. support to countries thought to be targets of influence by the Soviet Union. President Truman laid out what would become known as the Truman Doctrine in his address to Congress on March 12, 1947. The speech directly addressed ongoing conflicts in Greece and Turkey, but it also stated Truman’s broader stance that it was the responsibility of the U.S. to intervene in totalitarian regimes (dictatorships) seen as a threat to international security. The Truman Doctrine was a landmark in U.S foreign policy, and Truman’s speech is often considered the starting point of the Cold War—the decades-long conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union (and their respective allies).
The U.S. and the Soviet Union emerged from World War II as the two global superpowers, and each sought to check the influence and power of the other. When Britain announced it would no longer provide aid to Greece in its civil war against Greek Communists, Truman successfully requested that Congress send military equipment and financial aid. Truman feared that a Communist win in Greece would allow the Soviet Union to gain greater influence there. He also feared that influence could spread to neighboring Turkey.
This was the first time the U.S. took such an action outside of the Western Hemisphere, but it became the major part of U.S. foreign policy. Although neither the U.S. nor the Soviet Union engaged in direct fighting (hence the cold in Cold War), both attempted to support regimes that shared their interests. This competing support led to proxy wars—conflicts in which the superpowers supported the parties engaging in direct combat. The civil war in Greece is considered the first of these proxy wars.
In his speech, Truman said, “It must be the policy of the United States to support free people who are resisting attempted subjugation by … outside pressures.” Although Truman didn’t mention the Soviet Union specifically, his speech—and the doctrine that came from it—was all about preventing the spread of Communism. The Truman Doctrine had a lasting impact that influenced world events for decades, including the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
In establishing the Truman Doctrine, Truman used specific, negative language to emphasize what he saw as a threat, comparing Communism to a “disease” that must be prevented from spreading. His rhetoric is credited in part with increasing public support for his policy.
The reach of the Truman Doctrine wasn’t limited to a few conflicts in Greece and Turkey. It became the foundation of U.S. policy for many years.
On this day in in 1947, President Truman proclaims his Cold War foreign policy vision in a speech to Congress. The Truman Doctrine upholds America's commitment to democracy abroad and pledges U.S. support to "free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation." pic.twitter.com/6Ywac8lSL8
— Military History Now (@MilHistNow) March 12, 2019
Harry Truman was informed that North Korea had invaded South Korea – this day in 1950. The president’s “Truman Doctrine”—issued three years earlier—made it clear that resisting communist aggression would be a key pillar of American foreign policy pic.twitter.com/xfUfcX9Cbk
— West Wing Reports (edited by Paul Brandus) (@WestWingReport) June 25, 2019
The Truman Doctrine stated that America was responsible for:
A. supporting the spread of Communism. B. intervening to support people living under totalitarian regimes. C. ignoring conflicts happening in other countries.
D. containing the spread of Capitalism within the country.
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The Truman Doctrine
In this tense international atmosphere, US President Harry S. Truman broke with the policy of his predecessor Franklin D. Roosevelt and redefined the country’s foreign policy guidelines. On 12 March 1947, in a speech to the US Congress, the President presented his doctrine of containment, which aimed to provide financial and military aid to the countries threatened by Soviet expansion. Clearly aimed at stopping the spread of Communism, the Truman Doctrine positioned the United States as the defender of a free world in the face of Soviet aggression. An aid package of around 400 million dollars was granted to Greece and Turkey. This new doctrine provided a legitimate basis for the United States’ activism during the Cold War.
Applying the doctrine of containment, the Americans encouraged Turkey to resist Soviet claims to rights over naval bases in the Bosphorus. They also secured the withdrawal of Russian troops from Iran. In the meantime, since March 1947, efforts to crack down on Soviet espionage had been coordinated and the United States set up its Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). These changes to external policy marked a real turnaround in the history of the United States, which had previously remained on the sidelines of European disputes. For the US, isolationism was no longer an option.
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La doctrine Truman
Dans cette atmosphère internationale tendue, le président américain Harry S. Truman rompt avec la politique de son prédécesseur Franklin D. Roosevelt et redéfinit les grandes lignes de la politique extérieure des États-Unis. Le 12 mars 1947, le président présente devant le Congrès américain sa doctrine du containment, qui vise à fournir une aide financière et militaire aux pays menacés par l’expansion soviétique. Visant explicitement l’endiguement de la progression communiste, la doctrine Truman pose les États-Unis en défenseurs d’un monde libre face à l’agression de l’URSS. Des crédits d'environ 400 millions de dollars seront ainsi accordés à la Grèce et la Turquie. Cette nouvelle doctrine légitimera l’activisme des États-Unis pendant la guerre froide.
En appliquant la doctrine d’endiguement, les Américains encouragent, entre autres, la Turquie à rejeter les revendications soviétiques concernant la cession de bases navales au détroit du Bosphore et ils obtiennent le retrait des troupes russes d’Iran. Entre-temps, depuis mars 1947, la lutte contre l’espionnage soviétique s’organise et la Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) devient le service de renseignements américain. Ces changements de la politique extérieure marquent un véritable tournant dans l’histoire des États-Unis, qui jusqu’ici voulaient rester à l’écart des querelles européennes. Dorénavant, il n’est plus question pour eux de jouer la carte de l’isolationnisme.
Page 3
La doctrine Truman
Dans cette atmosphère internationale tendue, le président américain Harry S. Truman rompt avec la politique de son prédécesseur Franklin D. Roosevelt et redéfinit les grandes lignes de la politique extérieure des États-Unis. Le 12 mars 1947, le président présente devant le Congrès américain sa doctrine du containment, qui vise à fournir une aide financière et militaire aux pays menacés par l’expansion soviétique. Visant explicitement l’endiguement de la progression communiste, la doctrine Truman pose les États-Unis en défenseurs d’un monde libre face à l’agression de l’URSS. Des crédits d'environ 400 millions de dollars seront ainsi accordés à la Grèce et la Turquie. Cette nouvelle doctrine légitimera l’activisme des États-Unis pendant la guerre froide.
En appliquant la doctrine d’endiguement, les Américains encouragent, entre autres, la Turquie à rejeter les revendications soviétiques concernant la cession de bases navales au détroit du Bosphore et ils obtiennent le retrait des troupes russes d’Iran. Entre-temps, depuis mars 1947, la lutte contre l’espionnage soviétique s’organise et la Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) devient le service de renseignements américain. Ces changements de la politique extérieure marquent un véritable tournant dans l’histoire des États-Unis, qui jusqu’ici voulaient rester à l’écart des querelles européennes. Dorénavant, il n’est plus question pour eux de jouer la carte de l’isolationnisme.