Cold War Policy of Containment

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Name: _______________________________ Date: _______________ COLD WAR POLICY OF CONTAINMENT President Harry S. Truman was determined to keep Soviet influence contained within existing boundaries. His Cold War policy was known as containment. The Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan are examples of how the United States sought to prevent communism from spreading (containment). THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE With Greece in a civil war and Turkey facing a potential Soviet attack, President Truman ordered that something be done to counter the rising threat of communism in these two countries. The Truman Doctrine established that the U.S. would provide political, military, and economic assistance to any democratic nation that faced a direct or potential threat of communism. With the Truman Doctrine, the U.S. effectively abandoned its policy of isolationism, and became involved in conflicts that were far from home. President Harry S. Truman THE MARSHALL PLAN Marshall Plan Aid to Europe, 1948-1952 One example of the Truman Doctrine’s impact was the Marshall Plan. After WWII, much of Western Europe had been physically and economically destroyed and was at risk for a potential communist takeover. Communist parties in France and Italy had gained a lot of popularity, and the U.S. saw the need to take action to stop the spread of Communism. Secretary of State George Marshall issued a call for economic aid to help rebuild Western Europe. Marshall feared that the poor, unemployed, and homeless might turn to communism as a solution to their problem. The Marshall Plan would provide nearly $12 billion in aid to rebuild Western Europe. As life in those nations improved, the appeal of communism faded. Critical thinking: Do you agree with the United States policy of containment? Why or why not? __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ .

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