Truman Doctrine Dbq

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An old policy, with a new look. The Truman Doctrine changed the path of the U.S. involvement in international affairs. The pledge was to provide civilian, military, and financial aid to countries who were threatened by Stalin and Communism. This policy was indeed successful, but it led President Eisenhower to come with a new and improved approach, while still upholding the Truman Doctrine. The New Look Foreign Policy, crafted by Eisenhower, was a less expensive way to defeat the Soviet Union and contain Communism, while increasing the standard of living. Much like the Truman Doctrine, the New Look Foreign Policy was intended to halt the spread of Communism. Truman’s approach was more hands-on and much more expensive, while the conservative …show more content…

He saw that this was unsustainable and there needed to be a balance when it came to the federal budget. (New Look Foreign Policy Video Lecture 1). He once stated, “Every gun that is made, every warship launched… signifies a theft from those who hunger and are not fed.” (Foner, 949). Although Eisenhower had a strong military background, this was a clear indication that he was not partial to war. To him, war was wasteful. He was committed to winning the cold war, but doing so without forcing the U.S into bankruptcy.
The plan was to fund allies to battle communism, reduce U.S. military, and build up the United States arsenal. During his presidency, the armed services fell by nearly half. (Foner, 949). The idea behind reducing military, was that it would be cheaper than paying a U.S. soldiers salary. Eisenhower was able to reduce defense spending and keep it stabilized during the eight years of Presidency. This allowed for the American people to reach a higher level of economic satisfaction since 60% of the funds were no longer begin used for defense. There was a major growth in the economy due to Eisenhower’s