What Caused The Truman Doctrine

Although the war, caused by tension, after World War 2 is called the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were heated with one another. The United States and the USSR had tension because of the USSR’s communist tendencies. The term “Cold War” comes from author George Orwell because there were no actual physical encounters between the two. This tension led to the creation of the Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine.

The Truman Doctrine was George Kennan’s idea to contain communism by using force and changing political and geographical areas. George Kennan wrote in a February 1946 telegram that the “intent of the Soviet Union was to disrupt United States ‘authority’”. During this time, the USSR began using puppet governments in Eastern Europe to spread their idea of communism. The U.S. saw that the Soviets were after the Middle East and Western Europe next. During Greek civil war, Secretary of State Dean Acheson stated that if Greece fell to communism, a large portion of the surrounding area

In the Spring of 1948, the United States, Great Britain, and France combined occupancy zones to strengthen their chance against Germany. In response to this, Germany attempted to set up a blockade, allowing no type of transportation into West Germany. Truman, not allowing the starvation of thousands of citizens, ordered around the clock airlift to the area. This airlift was nicknamed Operation Vittles. Truman’s extraordinary and life saving actions in both the Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine have many similarities. First, Truman called upon congress for the passage of these acts and did not declare executive orders. Second, both offered financial aid to European countries. This financial aid was to help get the countries back on their feet after the devastating second World War. Third, we sent millions of dollars overseas. All three of these actions helped build Truman’s persona of