Monroe Doctrine Essay, Research Paper

Truman Doctrine

The Truman Doctrine was the drift for the alteration in United States foreign policy, from isolationist to internationalists ; therefore we were drawn into two wars of containment and into universe personal businesss. The Truman Doctrine led to a major alteration in U.S. foreign policy from its origin & # 8211 ; assistance to Turkey and Greece & # 8211 ; to its indirect influence in Korea and Vietnam. The wake of World War II inspired the U.S. to publish a announcement that would stem Communist influence throughout the universe. However, our ardor in that accomplishment sent our soldiers to decease in Vietnam and Korea for a apparently ineffectual cause. It must be the policy of the U.S. to back up free peoples. This is no more than a blunt acknowledgments that totalitarian governments imposed on free peoples. . . sabotage the foundations of. . . peace and security of the United States. The Truman Doctrine would alter the foreign policy of the United States and the universe.

This policy would foremost travel in assistance to back up the democratic governments in Turkey and Greece. These states were being threatened by Soviet-supported Rebels seeking to tumble the authorities and put in a Communist government. The Soviets were besides doing utmost territorial demands particularly refering the Dardanelles.

A direct influence of this Doctrine was, of class, the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan was designed to give assistance to any European state damaged during World War II. It enormously helped ravaged European states such as Italy and France. By assisting them economically, the Marshall Plan indirectly helped to stem turning Communist sentiment in these states.

The procedure whereby the Truman Doctrine came to fruition was a long and backbreaking 1. After World War II, the Soviet Union and the United States stood at the pinnacle of universe power. By the late 40 s, the U.S.S.R. had caught up to the United States atomic arms plans. In add-on, they were really land-hungry. Throughout Russia s history, they have been in hunt of a port & # 8211 ; a pursuit advanced farther by Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. The Soviets in that regard were direct menaces to their non-Communist neighbours: Greece, Turkey, and Iran.

In Iran, the U.S.S.R. was non evacuating Iran s northern states despite prayers from the United States. In Turkey, the Soviet Union coveted several naval bases along the Straits of Dardanelles. Further, they pressured Turkey for boundary line cedings that Turkey had taken from Russia after World War I. In Greece, the Soviets encouraged the seditious leader Markos Vafiades with weaponries and economic support. The British military personnels assisting the Greek authorities were strangled of supplies due to hapless economic times in Britain. Besides, farther territorial requisitions to Yugoslavia, Albania, and Bulgaria were being made.

Sing the deteriorating U.S. & # 8211 ; Soviet dealingss, Truman issued two statements about & # 8220 ; understandings, misdemeanors, reparations, and Soviet actions endangering U.S. security. & # 8221 ; & # 8220 ; 1. The Middle East is of strategic importance to the U.S.S.R. ( from which they are in scope of an air onslaught. ) 2. The U.S. must be prepared to pay atomic and biological warfare. & # 8221 ; ( Ferrel 247 ) Soon after, he sent bombers to the Middle East. He desired the return of all weaponries given to U.S.S.R. under the Lend-Lease Act.

There isn T a uncertainty in my head that Russia intends an invasion of Turkey and ictus of the Black Sea straits to the Mediterranean. Unless Russia is faced with an Fe fist and strong linguistic communication another war is in the devising, How many divisions have you?

Truman had his oculus on the Soviets and on war. However, The U.S.S.R. ne’er made such invasions and therefore quenched Truman s paranoia.

The Truman Doctrine was get downing to develop during 1947 when Truman issued several statements.

The present Russian embassador. . . persona non grata. . . does non belong in Washington.

Urge Stalin to pay us a visit.

Settle the Korean inquiry. . . give the Koreans a authorities of their ain.

Settle the Manchurian inquiry. . . support Chang Kai-Shek for a strong China.

Agree to treatment of Russia s lend-lease debt to the U.S.

Agree to commercial air pact.

Make it kick that we have no territorial aspirations. That we merely want peace, but we ll fight for it!

Truman besides set several ends for questioned districts:

The U.S. would travel to war if provoked. The Danube, Trieste, Dardanelles, Kiel Canal, and Rhine-Danube waterway should by liberate to all states. Manchuria should be Chinese, Dairen should be a free port. Russia should hold Kuriles and Sakhalin. . . Germany should be occupied harmonizing to Yalta. Austria should non be treated as an enemy state.

After these proclamations the British disclosed that they could no longer give assistance to Turkey and Greece and that the U.S. must pick up the slack. This left Greece in utmost danger of tumbling into Communist control. & # 8220 ; If Greece fell. . . Turkey isolated in the Eastern Mediterranean, would finally yield. . . & # 8221 ;

Truman s program for peacetime assistance The Truman Doctrine was unprecedented in history ( a amount of more than $ 400 million ) and he faced a hostile Republican Congress through which to go through it. However, Truman informed the Congress of the problems confronting Italy, Germany and France. They and little, delicate Middle-eastern provinces faced direct menaces from Communism. In rejoinder, the Congress had jobs with Truman s program that included: The Grecian authorities was corrupt and undemocratic ; Turkey, excessively, was non a Democracy. Turkey had been impersonal during the war. Further, the President s program for assistance gave no attending to Communism outside Europe. Nonetheless, two months subsequently the measure passed on May 15, 1947.

Truman added while subscribing the statute law into jurisprudence:

We are defenders of a great religion. We believe that freedom offers the best opportunity of peace and prosperity for all, and our desire for peace can non be separated from our belief in autonomy. We hope that in old ages in front more and more states will come to cognize the advantages of freedom and autonomy. It is to this terminal that we have enacted the jurisprudence I have now signed.

It was brought to Truman s attending that Europe was by no agencies content in their economic recovery. Britain was near bankruptcy, Italy, France, and Germany were plagued by a awful winter. More assistance was needed to maintain their democratic authoritiess afloat.

Therefore, a direct consequence from the Truman Doctrine was the Marshall Plan. This came about when Truman appointed General Marshall as Secretary of State. In that place, he observed & # 8220 ; Europe s economic plight. & # 8221 ; Marshall proposed a program that would offer assistance to all states & # 8220 ; West of the Urals. & # 8221 ; ( Truman, 355 ) This included the U.S.S.R. and her Eastern European orbiter provinces. They, nevertheless, refused the assistance. By March 1948, Congress had appropriated the first installment. Truman signed it into jurisprudence on April 3, 1948. By its consummation in 1952 it would supply

more than $ 13 billion in assistance to war-ravaged Europe.

This was a expansive alteration in U.S. Foreign policy. We had gone from isolationists to internationalists. This Doctrine is in direct contrast to the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine served as the U.S. Foreign policy for good over 150 old ages. It basically stated that the U.S. would non step in in the World s personal businesss every bit long as no 1 interfered with hers. With the Truman Doctrine, we wholly reversed that function that had been merely briefly breached during the World Wars. Our new policy was one of Containment: To incorporate the spread of Communism to the provinces in which it soon inhabits.

Our relationship with the U.S.S.R. after Truman s declaration was in go oning impairment. A major menace to our relationship was the Berlin Blockade of 1948. On June 24, 1948, the Soviets enacted a entire encirclement on Berlin. The U.S. response was to airlift supplies into the cutoff West Berliners. By its terminal 277,804 sallies delivered 2,325,809 dozenss of goods to Berlin more than a ton a piece to every Berliner.

That menace brought Truman to fix for war. He asked Congress for two steps in add-on to the Marshall Plan to strengthen America: The first was to temporarily ordain the Draft. The Second was a long scope program called Universal Military Training. This was designed to develop all males graduating from high school for combat. This thought ne’er had a opportunity in Congress. Truman besides made a treaty with Canada, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Brussels treaty states.

This was all a preliminary to the approaching struggle in the Korean War. We had non been

able to measure the comparative strength of the U.S.S.R. However, what we did cognize was that we had a far bigger atomic buildup than the Soviets about 300 bombs! However, conventionally, we were far poorer.

On June 24, 1950 Truman was told that North Korea had invaded South Korea or in Containment footings: Communism was distributing! The UN Security took a consentaneous ballot to declare war on North Korea. Truman hurriedly sent 10,000 military personnels from Japan to unite with the weak South Korean Army. Even together, they were barely a lucifer for the 90,000 battle-hardened and strong North Koreans. General MacArthur was put in charge and ceded much infinite in order to purchase clip for supports. Meanwhile, the American populace was non seeing the value of killing their male childs in Korea. & # 8220 ; We demand that you stop slaying American male childs and Korean People. . . & # 8221 ;

Truman increased military disbursement to finance the war supports. With freshly received supports, MacArthur brightly turned the tide of war. MacArthur moved quickly up the Korean Peninsula until Chinese intercession. They briefly provided a job but they had no air force with which to back up their ain military personnels. Truman fired MacArthur on insubordination charges. The U.N. forces continued the war until a armistice was made in 1953. This reestablished the boundary line at the 38th analogue. During this war, the U.S. lost about 60,000 military personnels. What consequences did we acquire? No boundary line alterations, a minor containment of Communism that likely would non hold made much difference to the U.S. anyway. Merely the decease of Americans was gained.

The following consequence of the Truman Doctrine was the Vietnam War. This was another anti-Communist containment war. Ho Chi Minh had invaded South Vietnam. It began with the Gulf of Tonkin incident in which Vietnam Torpedo boats attacked U.S. destroyers. From at that place, more and more military personnels were poured into Vietnam. U.S. began bombing foraies in 1965. By the terminal of that twelvemonth more than 200,000 military personnels were in Vietnam. In 1968, 525,000 military personnels were at that place. Several peace enterprises were given by the U.S. but were refused, nevertheless by the Vietnamese. The Tet violative renewed lagging struggle and finally led to the terminal of full-scale U.S. engagement in 1973. In 1970, the U.S. entered Cambodia due to a putsch. However, in three months the U.S. military personnels were withdrawn. At the terminal of our backdown about 60,000 military personnels were killed and this clip we had non even saved the state we were supporting. The veterans received about no welcome as the populace was non interested in contending a war excessively far off to affair.

One great event that has caused the U.S. to intensify universe assistance and engagement was the prostration of the Soviet Union. No longer are we contending to incorporate Communism, but alternatively to keep Democracy any and everyplace.

Still, today the Truman Doctrine prevails in finding our foreign policy. Most late, we fought the arresting Gulf War. This was non a war of containment but it served a similar intent. It sought to forestall an attacker from catching a weaker neighbour.

Fortunately, we had minimum casualties. This war was one different from Korea and Vietnam. It had a important impact on the United States. We fought for our oil supply. Therefore, this war did hold a important intent.

The U.S. has besides fought minor brushs in hot musca volitanss around the universe. In the Mideast we fought in Lebanon and Libya, non to advert our monolithic assistance to Israel. In Central America, we have given assistance to Nicaragua, fought in Panama, Grenada, and Haiti. All of these exemplify the impact of the Truman Doctrine on our foreign policy. In Europe, we have non fought any wars but have given monolithic assistance. From the Marshall Plan to a World Monetary Fund $ 10 billion grant to Russia, we have aided Europe throughout half a century. We formed many confederations such as NATO to battle Communism and continue Independence at that place. And the most recent struggle of all is the Balkan struggle. We are once more in danger of being drawn into a war with no clear intent or advantage to the U.S. But in the continuation of the Truman Doctrine, we have stationed military personnels at that place. Hopefully, no casualties will come about but no 1 can predict the hereafter of such a hot topographic point for combat.

The Truman Doctrine has impacted everyone in the U.S. and about every state in the universe since its declaration in 1947. Some critics castigate the Doctrine: & # 8220 ; Critics blamed engagement in Korea and Vietnam on the Truman Doctrine. Without the Doctrine. . . the U.S. might hold minded its ain business. & # 8221 ; ( McCullough, 571 ) While other critics argue: & # 8221 ; Truman was seeking to reconstruct the European Balance of Power and had neither the purpose nor the capableness of patroling the world. & # 8221 ; ( McCullough, 571 ) He may hold non had that purpose, but that is precisely the Doctrine s branching. All over the universe U.S. troops sit waiting to protect Democracy. The Truman Doctrine ensures that even without a valid menace to U.S. security we must blow American lives to & # 8220 ; protect the free peoples of the World. & # 8221 ; ( McCullough, 571 ) Would the universe have been a worse topographic point if we had non acted to protect South Korea and South Vietnam? Would the U.S.S.R. have fallen due to its ain economic instability and merely fugitive control over its monolithic population? These inquiries can be cogitated but ne’er answered. One thing is certain, people should non decease for a cause that is nonexistent, or one that could hold destroyed itself.