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Truman Doctrine Dbq

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President Truman saw the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War. The Cold War brought a new world foe: communism. When President Eisenhower came to office, he inherited the containment policy because communism was still a threat. President Truman dealt with communism through his endeavors to revitalize Europe but was invoked into war on the Asian front. President Eisenhower was the one to push for a conclusion to that war causing their policies to differ while seeking and obtaining the same goal of limiting communism throughout the world.
The Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was delivered in a speech in March 1947 in response to Britain’s decision to no longer assist the government of Greece in the fight against the Greek …show more content…

Marshall Foundation, n.d.). The plan was to assist in the recovery of the European economy. Europe had not recovered from the effects of war, and its people were still suffering. The aim was to stop starvation, and to end the economic cycle that took funds away from reconstruction in order to purchase food from foreign markets (U.S. National Archives & Records Administration, n.d.). As with the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan speech in June 1947 proclaimed that it was America’s duty to answer the call of aid (U.S. National Archives & Records Administration, n.d.). Moreover, the goal was to stop any attempts the Soviet Union made to spread communism, which was confirmed in an explanation given about the program, “In the two years after the war, the Soviet Union’s control of Eastern Europe and the vulnerability of Western European countries to Soviet expansionism heightened the sense of crisis” (U.S. National Archives & Records Administration, n.d.). “… the Marshall Plan is credited rebuilding Western Europe after WWII, it has also been criticized for contributing to the beginning of the Cold War” (Weissman, 2013, p. 114). The Soviets opposed the plan and Stalin believed it was a way to encourage democracy and a free-market economy (Weissman, …show more content…

Korea’s history already determined it was a weak country, having been a pawn for Far Eastern powers, so Cold War had left it nearly destroyed with epidemics, poverty, limited education, and authoritarian rulers (LaFeber, 2008). In this state, Korea was left vulnerable to communism. In 1945, the 38th parallel marked the ally agreement of disarming the occupying Japanese military, however by the end of the Korean War, it would be the indivisible line that divided the country between communism and democracy (LaFeber, 2008). In June 1950, when North Korean troops passed the 38th parallel, President Truman gave the order for American air and naval units to move into action to aid South Korea and to show the United States’ opponents that “the United States was no longer content with mere “containment” but now aimed for liberation (LaFeber, 2008, p. 114). LaFeber (2008) explains President Truman’s intent, “In sending these troops Truman emphasized that the United States aimed only “to restore peace and … restore the border” (p. 110). During the first six months of the Korean War, President Truman and Secretary of State Dean Acheson took the opportunity to develop new U.S. policies (LaFeber, 2008). These initiatives allowed for the revitalization of the U.S. military by tripling defense spending, put into motion the NSC-68, transformed the United Nations, committed

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Some think Harry S. Truman was a good President for making a big decision in World War 2. Others say that he shouldn’t have dropped the atomic bomb. He was a very interesting President during his time in office. Truman also made a lot of decisions during the war and many more when he was President. He has also proved to be an effective President.

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Truman’s Policy of “Containment” was made in March 1947.Truman’s Policy had economic, cultural, and political aspects. The Political aspect of his policy was the Truman Doctrine which said that the United States of America would support free peoples who are resisting subjugation by armed minorities or by outside forces or pressures. The cultural aspect of this doctrine was the freedom and choice government versus totalitarian and no choice government, so pretty much, you never got to choose anything and you were forced to do the things that the Soviet Union wanted you to do. Then lastly the economic aspect of this doctrine was the Marshall Plan which said that it would prevent countries from falling to communists and it would aid the Americans. The Marshall Plan also gave $17 billion to 16 countries(not the soviet union).

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Long Essay Harry Truman was the Vice President of the United States alongside Franklin Roosevelt. When Roosevelt died, Truman takes over and is sworn into presidency April 12, 1945, becoming the 33rd president. He had to make some crucial decisions, which was a major one of dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. One of his accomplishments included ending World War 2.

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Truman also prompted the Marshall Plan, which provided significant amounts of U.S. aid to the corrupt economies of Western Europe and also vetoed the Taft-Hartley Labor act. This act helped expand federal control over labor quarrels and allowed the government to force a hiatus if a strike was considered horrendous to national security or well being [3]. Truman also intervened with American troops in the conflict between North Korea and South Korea and also supported the creation of the state of Israel in the Middle East. In short, Truman’s foreign policy created some of the basic principles and commitments that marked American foreign policy for the rest of the 20th century

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The attack comes without warning and President Harry Truman, with the help of the United Nations, vows to defend democratic South Korea. The Containment Policy stated that the US would support any nation that are being oppressed by communism and cannot protect themselves from it. This became America’s major reason to intervene in the Korean War. However, the policy of containment came under attack due casualties and economic issues that the policy created. One of the major effects that over extended the powers of American foreign policy is that it gave the US a reason to interfere with any war they wanted as long as it involved communism.

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Was Truman justified in dropping the Atomic Bomb? Truman was and wasn’t justified in dropping the atomic bomb. Dropping an atomic bomb sounds terrible and obviously is terrible, but when you closely look at the situation, you can see the reasons why he dropped the bomb. When F. D. Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, Truman took the office.

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President Truman’s number one goal in the Korean War was to prevent a wide scale war. He did not want to involve other countries into this war and wanted to resolve the communist conflict in Korea. He was afraid that any more involvement of the countries would result in a third world war. It was simply a problem of containment in Korea and the intervention of the Soviet Union or other European countries would be fatal. If America was successful in taken down the power of the communist forces in Korea, the countries would naturally find peace again.

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In other words, Truman suggests that the attack made by North Korea was part of a larger plan by communist China and, through extension, the Soviet Union. Truman believed that the Korean situation was similar to that of Greece in 1947. It was also clear that communism was a direct threat to the security of the Pacific area and to the United States performing its lawful and necessary functions. Preventing war or attack on the country was crucial in awaiting the restoration of security in the Pacific. Communist aggression was also a rising concern during

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The Korean War: Controversy Surrounding MacArthur and Truman Often referred to as the forgotten war, the Korean war had a significant impact on America’s domestic and foreign affairs. The two most important figures in the war were General Douglas MacArthur and President Harry S. Truman. During the war, a controversy regarding Truman’s dismissal of MacArthur, commander of the US army in Korea, loomed over Truman’s presidency. General MacArthur was a prominent five-star American General who was well liked by the public at that time. MacArthur’s great fame came with his service in the Pacific during World War II.

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On June 25, 1950, United States President Harry S. Truman, received a phone call from the Secretary of State. American civilians in Korea were being evacuated as North Korean tanks crossed the 38th parallel(Rothman). The 38th parallel was chosen by the WWII victors, with no regard for the “realities of the country”(Rothman). Without consent of the Korean citizens, many Koreans were infuriated at the UN, US, and Soviet Union. Nonetheless it was a border.

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Harry Truman accomplished many things in his life time and was one of the best presidents to ever be in office. Many of his accomplishments came from what he did in his early childhood years and the time he put in when no one knew about him. He joined WWI and that shows he would be able to fight for his country and not back down. He also made a huge adjustment from County judge to Vice President showing he knows a lot about politics and is ready to take his career further (“The History of Harry truman”). Harry Truman was born on May 8,1884 in the farm community of Lamar Missouri.

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It was Western Europe that was fundamentally important for US national security. The United Kingdom and a number of other European countries have taken active foreign policy steps to intensify US European policy. Europe needed economic assistance and military support. However, such a policy of Europe found understanding within the United States, which resulted in the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan, according to many researchers, is a practical embodiment of the Truman Doctrine.

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Position of Truman During the Korean War, Harry Truman had a very delicate situation to balance. First and foremost, Harry Truman’s initial attitude , which was reflected through American policy at the time, revealed a struggle to balance the need to address the issue of communistic influence with a hesitancy due to the possible implications that taking aggressive militarial action could have for the US. In his statements, one being the Truman Doctrine, “Truman made it clear that his actions fell within the measures recommended by the United Nations, and reminded ‘all members of the United Nations’ to ‘consider carefully the consequences of this latest aggression in Korea’ and that America ‘will continue to uphold the rule of law.’ “ From Truman’s perspective, the most crucial strategic element for resolution was balance. Such balance, as would be proven later on, would be something that General Douglas MacArthur was incapable of achieving.

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After North Korea attacked South Korea Truman urged the American public to utilize U.S forces to go after, and dispose of, the threat of a communist South Korea, not only for containment but to appease his reputation. Truman’s containment led to the U.S involvement in the Korean War, making Truman’s reputation better, but this extension of containment could lead another war with North Korea in the

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The situation spiraled out of control on June 25th, 1950, with “an attack by the North that was endorsed and aided by the Soviet Union” (Haruki 1). This swift surprise attack occurred when the North Korean army crossed the 38th parallel and quickly captured the capital of South Korea: Seoul. This caught the South Korean army entirely off guard so defending against the swift attack was close to futile. This invasion sparked widespread panic throughout South Korea, the United Nations, and the United States, leading to the severity of the situation to increase. While addressing the situation, Truman advocated for action in defense of South Korea as he claimed that “this attack has made it clear beyond all doubt that the international communist movement is willing to use armed invasion to conquer independent nations” (Truman, President Truman Reports, 1950) and that this act of aggression “creates a very real danger to the security of all free nations” (Truman, President Truman Reports, 1950).

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