truman doctrine
The Truman Doctrine's Impact in Cold War Strategy By the middle of the twentieth century's fifth decade, the world had been jolted by two catastrophic wars; a seven- year economic disaster and the recognition that weapons of mass destruction existed. Where blood had been spilled through hand to hand combat dating back to trench warfare, the realization that thirty years hence, blood bones and the complete human identity could be vaporized helped create a climate of distrust between former allies. The architects of postwar Europe, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, President Franklin Roosevelt and Soviet Premier Josef Stalin, acting as a triumvirate of supreme commanders, negotiated on behalf of their countries' interest in redefining the geographic boundaries of Europe. The contrast in nationalistic views exposed by Stalin and Churchill would begin the journey to what became known as the "Cold War". The strategies utilized by both the United States and Great Britain were designed to thwart the Soviet Union's attempt to expand puppet Communist regimes over conquered territories. Winston Churchill would write in his memoirs an entry dated May 10th, 1945, "The Soviet menace had already replaced the Nazi foe". As
By having troops stationed in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and the eastern sector of Germany, a large geographic buffer had been constructed between those capitalistic countries of Western Europe and the United States and his homeland. The military would also oversee the reconstruction of basic infrastructure as had been done in Japan. Within a four-day period, the decision was made to go forward and assist both countries with emergency supplies and money. What America and Great Britain had already witnessed during the first half of 1946 was the establishment of pro-Communist governments in the Balkan states, Hungary, Poland and Czechoslovakia. The public support for the aid package was overwhelming. It was fatefully, one of the last agreements Churchill would be able to negotiate singularly with Stalin. From Korea, to Vietnam, Hungary, Cuba, China, Afghanistan, back to Germany and the Soviet Union itself, the interests outlined in the Truman Doctrine versus what Stalin and his successors waged against the Capitalists were deadlocked. As Walker quotes, The negotiations over the outstanding issues of Poland and the other Eastern European countries proved difficult and divisive. The British economy was itself a disaster at war's end and maintaining two economically deprived offspring made a bad situation worse. Truman helped save the Western world with his aid to Greece and Turkey in 1947. Stalin's view of security was summarized in his belief that "everyone imposes his own system as far as his army can reach" (Lukacs 121).
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