The Truman Doctrine

The Truman Doctrine was set up in 1947 and was the unofficial start of the Cold War. Truman asked to assess the strength of the USSR and found that they were in no position to wage a war. Truman knew of Stalin's secondary plan which was to encourage Communist revolutions all through Europe.

After World War Two, a large proportion of Europe was devastated. In these time Communism seemed very appealing as it split the riches of the wealthy and gave it to the poor.

The Truman Doctrine stated:

• The world has a choice between Communist tyranny or democratic freedom. 
• America had a responsibility to fight for liberty wherever it was threatened. 
• They would send troops and resources to countries threatened by Communists. 
• Communism should not be allowed to grow and gain territory.

The Truman Doctrine was a very significant event for multiple reasons. 

• It suggested that America, rather than the UN had a responsibility to protect the world which was a reversal of its common ideology of isolationism. 
• It caused the split of the world based on ideology - into Capitalists and Communists. This suggested that there could be no further co-operation between the East and the West.
• It set a realistic goal for American foreign policy. Truman committed to containment. this involved America not invading USSR but making every effort possible to stop the spread of Communism.