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Why did the U.S. develop and implement the containment policy during the Truman administration?
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The U.S. developed the containment policy during the Truman administration to prevent the spread of communism and limit Soviet influence after World War II. The strategy, influenced by George Kennan's ideas, involved military and economic measures, including the Marshall Plan and interventions like the Korean War. Containment aimed to stabilize war-torn regions and counteract Soviet expansion, ensuring that communism did not gain further ground in strategically important areas like Western Europe and Asia.
As the United States and the Soviet Union were both atomic powers, a direct confrontation between the two was unthinkable, as it would undoubtedly have led to nuclear armageddon. So the Truman Administration had to devise a whole new strategy that dealt with the growing Soviet threat while minimizing the chances of World War III.
Such a strategy was containment, which was expressly designed to hold back the spread of Communism. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Communist parties were becoming increasingly prominent in the political life of European nations. In countries such as France and Italy, Communists had been at the forefront of anti-fascist resistance, which had increased their support among the general population. But as such, Communist parties ultimately took their orders from Moscow, and the Truman Administration was determined to ensure that they wouldn't gain power in such a strategically important part of the world...
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as Western Europe.
It was in response to the growing support of Communism in the shattered post-war economies of Western Europe that the Marshall Plan was born. This enormous package of financial support was designed to rebuild the economies of Western Europe, making it more difficult for Communists to exploit poverty in order to garner support.
The Americans knew that Communism thrives under circumstances of hopelessness and poverty, so by spending vast sums on getting war-torn European economies back on their feet, they were eradicating the economic conditions which Communists have traditionally exploited for their own benefit.
In 1947, US diplomat George Kennan sent a report to the US Secretary of Defense, advising him on US foreign policy, specifically in regard to the Soviet Union. In his report, Kennan outlined what came to be known as "containment." Kennan believed that the US needed to "contain" communism, or stop its spread. He believed that by stopping the spread of communism and containing, or limiting, Soviet influence and power to stay within the Soviet Union alone, eventually the Soviet Union would collapse. Thus, containment centered on making sure that no other countries fell to communism and that the Soviet Union did not extend its influence over other countries. The policy of containment grew out of a response to the Soviet Union's attempts to expand its influence in Eastern Europe after World War II.
Containment relied on both military and economic strategies. The US would contain the spread of communism by using military force in countries threatened by communism, as seen in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and by using economic assistance and aid. This economic strategy was first implemented by Truman in 1947. Great Britain informed the US that it could not longer afford economic aid to Greece and Turkey. A communist party was gaining support in Greece and the Soviet Union was attempting to gain control in Turkey. Truman therefore asked Congress for $400 million of aid for Greece and Turkey to resist "attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures." Congress approved and the US policy of containment was set.
Truman again utilized containment in Korea; although, he mainly used military, rather than economic aid, in this situation. In 1950, communist North Korea invaded South Korea in an attempt to form a unified communist country. In response, Truman called for air and naval support for South Korea, and the United Nations dispatched UN forces from 21 countries. The US provided 90% of forces sent to fight in Korea and the UN forces were led by American General Douglas MacArthur. After three years of fighting, an armistice was signed in 1953 that ended fighting and reestablished the partition between North and South Korea at the 38th parallel. The Korean War proved that the US policy of containment and commitment to fighting the spread of communism would be implemented not only in Europe, but also around the world.
The policy of containment was developed by the United States as a response to the way in which communism seems to be spreading unchecked abroad. This policy was therefore part of the Cold War and a response to moves by the USSR to enlarge communist influence, particularly in Eastern Europe and Asia. This policy is most strongly associated with the term of President Truman, and ways in which he sought to realise this policy included the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), which was essentially a mutual defence pact, and featured the creation of a rival block of power that at least stood in opposition to the powermongering of the Soviet Union. The policy of containment is not exclusively associated with Truman, however, and other presidents used it as part of their foreign policy in the Cold War, most notably Johnson, who cited containment as justifying his intervention in Vietnam.