Truman Doctrine: History and Resources

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Was the Truman Doctrine a Success?

The structure of the international system took on a form of bipolarity after the end of World War II. In a bipolar world order, there are only two major powers. This structure is considered less dangerous than a multi-polar system, as warfare between the two major powers is deterred. For example, if one country achieves an advantage in technology, the other country will attempt to catch up, maintaining a balance of power and leaving open no window of opportunity for attack. Such an example existed between 1945-1990 between the United States and the Soviet Union. The patterns specific to bipolarity include an arms race, the development of security alliances, and the overreaction to hot topics among the weaker powers.

The Truman Doctrine and Its Influence on American Foreign Policy

The central tenet of American foreign policy of the Cold War years was developed in this atmosphere. 1947-1950 can be viewed as the formative years of the Cold War, and the Truman Doctrine of 1947 laid out the basic policy of American containment of the U.S.S.R. The main goal of the Truman Doctrine was to assist all of those countries, both economically and militarily, who were opposed to communism. NSC 68, the 1950 security planning paper issued by President Truman’s security council, called for the United States to make two major strategic shifts: the globalization of the containment policy and the militarization of containment.

When it comes to protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a country, there are two main strategies that may be employed: deterrence and defense. Defense is primarily a physical strategy, while deterrence is primarily psychological. The Truman Doctrine and the policy of containment by the U.S. were geared toward deterrence. Understanding the reasoning behind a strategy of deterrence will lead to a better understanding of the Truman Doctrine and its results.

Deterrence Strategy and the Truman Doctrine

For a deterrence strategy to be a success, a country must demonstrate a commitment to accountability, including retaliation or punishment, as well as the capability to uphold such a position with a certain degree of credibility. The Truman Doctrine of containment dictated general deterrence as part of a long-term strategy, as well as immediate deterrence to be used in response to a specific challenge. It also set forth the policies of primary deterrence, which seeks to discourage the enemy from attacking one’s allies.

The Success of the Truman Doctrine

The Truman Doctrine can be seen as successful in terms of primary deterrence, however it can also been seen as a partial failure in extended deterrence. In examining whether or not the Truman Doctrine was a success, a test case must be examined. Extended deterrence, guided by policy objectives of the Truman Doctrine, and containment was responsible for the United States being brought into a number of conflicts, perhaps most notably, the war in Vietnam. The United States entered Vietnam slowly, taking over when the French withdrew. However, with a foreign policy based upon containment, the situation escalated quickly. The United States fought with the North Vietnamese, who were backed by the Soviet Union, which feared a domino effect may occur. The theory held that if Vietnam fell, other countries would soon fall as well, and communism would spread throughout the Southeast Asian countries. While there are other examples that could also be examined, the Vietnam War demonstrates that the Truman Doctrine and the policy of containment was clearly a failure.

It can also be argues that the Truman Doctrine was successful, in that the two super powers never experienced direct conflict and the Cold War ended on a somewhat peaceful note. However, even this argument is tenuous, as there are other reasons for the peaceful end of the Cold War, including collapse of the Soviet power, President Ronald Reagan’s policies, and Soviet Premier Gorbachev’s reform policies in the U.S.S.R. Additional reasons include the decline of bipolarity as other nations gained political and economic strengths, as well as the globalization of democracy and capitalism.

Resources about the Truman Doctrine

Fordham’sPRESIDENT HARRY S. TRUMAN ADDRESS BEFORE A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS, MARCH 12, 1947
TrumanLibrary.org Information about Friday, February 21, 1947, the British Embassy informed the U.S. State Department officials that Great Britain could no longer provide financial aid to the governments of Greece and Turkey.
Ourdocuments.gov
Yale Law School outlines the Truman Doctrine.

Resource by AnnaBelle

Annalise Kaylor is a freelance writer, editor, and consultant specializing in search engine optimized content for the web. As a writer, her work has appeared across the United States in print ads for Whirlpool, Maytag, Home Depot, and Lowe's, among others. As a consultant, she has worked primarily in the education sector, helping universities increase their web visibility and construct and implement social media strategy. Annalise is an avid reader, knitter, organic gardener and baker, as well as the author of the popular baking blog, Knead To Be Loaved. Annalise enjoys fly fishing, camping, and hiking.

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