Truman Doctrine, 1947

What was the Truman Doctrine?

The Truman Doctrine was an American policy which was anti-communist and involved the containment of communism. It led to the Marshall Plan.

When did the Truman Doctrine begin?

President Harry S Truman announced his doctrine on 12th March, 1947.

Why was the Truman Doctrine established?

There were 3 main reasons the Truman Doctrine was created:

• ❖ Britain could not afford to give any more military support to the Greek government in the civil war against Greek communists.
• ❖ The USA promised $400 million in aid to Greece and Turkey to help win the war against the Greek communists.
• ❖ It aimed to contain the spread of communism by giving military and economic assistance to any country threatened by it.

What were the main points of the Truman Doctrine?

The Truman Doctrine contained 3 key points:

• ❖ It stated the world had a choice between communism, or capitalism and democracy.
• ❖ The USA would send troops and economic aid to countries threatened by communism so it was contained and could not spread.
• ❖ The USA would no longer follow an isolationist foreign policy and would now get involved in the affairs of other countries, rather than stay out of them.

What conditions were there in order for countries to receive aid under the Truman Doctrine?

Countries had to choose capitalism over communism in order to receive aid from the USA.

What was the importance of the Truman Doctrine?

There were 4 main reasons the Truman Doctrine was important:

• ❖ It meant the USA officially abandoned its isolationist foreign policy and would play an active role in the world.
• ❖ It meant the USA was on a potential collision course with the USSR as the doctrine was directed against the spread of communism.
• ❖ It directly resulted in the creation of the Marshall Plan.
• ❖ It resulted in the further deterioration in the relationship between the USA and the USSR.