Truman Doctrine: An Overview

Dr. Tinsley

The Truman Doctrine was the first, formal statement by a U.S. president that America would intervene in the affairs of the world in a formal and consistent manner. It was the death knell of American isolationism and was an open acknowledgement of America's position as a world power willing to take aggressive action in international affairs. Truman unambiguously characterized the Soviet Union as evil, casting America's commitment to aid the Greek government against communist insurgents in a moral light (Coffey, 1984, p. 233).

In a speech to a joint session of Congress in 1947 in which he outlined the doctrine, Truman stated: "One of the primary objectives of the foreign policy of the United States is the creation of conditions in which we and other nations will be able to work out a way of life free from coercion. This was a fundamental issue...
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