What were some of the essential themes of the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and the policy of “containment?”
Use only the sources provided
Sources:
Give me liberty (see attachment)
Henry A. Wallace, Letter to President Truman (1946)
Title:
Henry A. Wallace, Letter to President Truman (1946)
Introduction:
Commerce Secretary Henry A. Wallace — one of the few liberal idealists in Truman’s cabinet — sought to discourage the hardening of the government’s approach to the Soviet Union, and to encourage initiatives to ease the growing Cold War tensions. In the following excerpt from a letter dated July 23, 1946, Wallace urges Truman to build “mutual trust and confidence” in order to achieve “an enduring international order.” Soon after, Truman asked Wallace to resign, and went on in the following year to issue his “Truman Doctrine” of containment.
Question to consider:
How do the assumptions and arguments adopted by Wallace compare with those found in the previous statements by Truman and the National Security Council?
Source:
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6906 (Links to an external site.)
The Truman Doctrine: Address to Congress (1947)
Title
The Truman Doctrine: Address to Congress (1947)
Introduction
President Truman proclaimed the Doctrine on March 12, 1947 as an attempt to contain Communism. The Doctrine shifted American foreign policy towards the Soviet Union from Détente — meaning easing or relaxing — to the containment of Soviet expansion. It is often used by historians as the starting date of the Cold War.
Question to consider
How does Truman define “freedom” in the postwar world?