A Rhetorical Analysis Of Harry S. Truman's Speech

In the Truman Doctrine speech, Harry S. Truman states, “Great responsibilities have been placed upon us by the swift movement of events. I am confident that the Congress will face these responsibilities squarely” (Truman 30). On March 12, 1947, Harry S. Truman delivered a speech, called the Truman Doctrine to a joint session of U.S. Congress. This was addressing a major concern for the countries of Greece and Turkey. Greece and Turkey were under pressure from the Soviet Union during the time of the Cold War. Truman was educating the U.S. Congress on the exertion the Soviet Union was implementing against Greece and Turkey. Although, Truman was also persuading the U.S. Congress to take action to help Greece and Turkey, so these extertions

In the Truman Doctrine speech, Harry Truman utilizes appeal to pity tactics, cumulative sentences, and fear tactics to convince the U.S. Congress that they must take action to assist Greece and Turkey. Truman uses appeal to pity tactics to cause the U.S. Congress to feel sympathy for Greece and Turkey, which causes them to want to help these countries. In his speech, Harry Truman states, “Preliminary reports from the American Economic Mission now in Greece and reports from the American Ambassador in Greece corroborate the statement of the Greek Government that assistance is imperative if Greece is to survive as a free nation” (Truman 1). Truman undoubtedly shows the use of an appeal to pity tactic in this statement by stating that Greece is a exceptionally weak country at the time. Truman is causing the U.S. Congress to feel sorry for Greece as they need assistance to remain and survive as a free nation. Truman knows that if the U.S. Congress feels pity for Greece, then they are more

Congress that they must take action to assist Greece and Turkey. Truman’s speech to the U.S. Congress in 1947 was vital to the United States and its future. The United States was battling Communism and Totalitarian governments to avoid their expansion. If Truman would not have given this speech, Greece and Turkey would not have received the assistance they needed, meaning that Greece and Turkey would have fully lost their freedom and would have been in a terrible state. If Greece and Turkey would have crumbled, then the expansion of Communism would have spread into their land and region, as well. This would have simply made the fight against Communism just that much harder for the United States of America. Therefor, Truman was able to save the U.S. much time and hard work in their fight against Communism. The Truman Doctrine was able to save several Greece and Turkey lives, as well as halt the spread of Communism into these