The Truman Doctrine - Essay Example

Marysue Andreozzi History 161 26 April The Truman Doctrine In March 12, 1947 United s President Harry Truman gave a speech thatled to the establishment of the Truman doctrine. He made a plea for the United States involvement during the Greek Civil War which happened between 1946- 1949. This was after the British government announced the withdrawal of military and economic aid to the Greek civil war. Britain stopped supporting Greece due to lack of funds and requested the United States to give the needed support to end the civil war in Greek.

President Truman announced assistance to Turkey as well, which was also under the British aid program. Truman argued that if the countries received no support at that time of the urgent need brought about by war, grave consequences would emerge. Many authors have written vastly about the Truman Doctrine as discussed in this essay.According to Lykogiannis (104), Truman believed that the war was a threat not only to international peace but also to the national security of the United States. President Truman asked the United States Congress to provide economic and military support to democratic nations facing war, hence the Truman doctrine.

The Truman doctrine changed the United States foreign policy effectively. Historians considered the doctrine as the genesis of the cold war (Freeland 77). The Greek Communist war got support from the Soviet Union who posed as a threat to the Greek policy makers. The United States, through the request of President Truman, provided close to half a billion dollars financial aid to both Greek and Turkey. The Truman Doctrine developed to the United States policy of supporting free people who get subjected to armed minor groups of people or by external pressures.

According to President Truman, the doctrine was for the best interest of the United States at large. The doctrine had a strategic goal despite supporting the majority rights (Spalding 55).Economically, Greece lacks sufficient natural resources, thus making it a poor country compared to other developed countries. The country has suffered four years of cruel invasion making economic and social development difficult. Politically, the country had suffered immense destruction from German liberation, and inflation rates remained high.

These tragic conditions forced the emergence of a militant minority giving rise to political chaos. This has made Greece’s economic recovery slow and difficult as the country struggles to reconstruct. The financial aid given by United States helped boost the country economic status but was not enough to stabilize the economy. The Truman doctrine was socially friendly as it ensured the majority rights got protection. The Doctrine depicts the society of that time as one which was responsible and concerned of the welfare of the global society.

The policy main agenda was to restore peace and so that the people of Greece can co exist peacefully and maintain democracy. The Truman Doctrine policy was to maintain and help the two countries make their own policies. The policies were to foresee economic stability and transparent political processes (Lykogiannis 207). The Truman Doctrine strengthened the Cold war policy around the World. The doctrine survived as it understood the need for cultural security globally. The doctrine sensitized the media to mobilize the United States economic advantage in unstable countries to modernize and stabilize them.

This brought about the development of nation building programs and eliminated the direct intervention of military groups. In conclusion, Truman doctrine policy has helped to stop communism globally. President Truman was prudent and had moral obligations of creating a peaceful environment globally. His doctrine lives on and continues inspiring many individuals globally.Works CitedFreeland, Richard M. The Truman Doctrine and the Origins of McCarthyism. New York: Knopf, 1972. Print.Lykogiannis, Athanasios.

Britain and the Greek Economic Crisis, 1944-1947: From Liberation to the Truman Doctrine. Missouri: University of Missouri Press, 2002. Print.Spalding, Elizabeth Edwards. The First Cold Warrior: Harry Truman, Containment, and the Remaking of Liberal Internationalism. Kentucky: The University Press, 2006. Print.