Truman Doctrine

American  

noun

1. the policy of President Truman, as advocated in his address to Congress on March 12, 1947, to provide military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey and, by extension, to any country threatened by Communism or any totalitarian ideology.

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Usage

What was the Truman Doctrine? The Truman Doctrine was a United States foreign policy established by President Harry S. Truman in 1947. It was intended to prevent the spread of Communism in the aftermath of World War II by providing U. S. support to countries thought to be targets of influence by the Soviet Union. President Truman laid out what would become known as the Truman Doctrine in his address to Congress on March 12, 1947. The speech directly addressed ongoing conflicts in Greece and Turkey, but it also stated Truman’s broader stance that it was the responsibility of the U. S. to intervene in totalitarian regimes (dictatorships) seen as a threat to international security. The Truman Doctrine was a landmark in U. S foreign policy, and Truman’s speech is often considered the starting point of the Cold War—the decades-long conflict between the U. S. and the Soviet Union (and their respective allies).

Example Sentences

It was the start of what became known as the Truman Doctrine.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2025

The programs and initiatives were boundless: the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, NATO, the UN, the United National Relief and Rehabilitation Administration — the list goes on.

From Salon • Sep. 5, 2022

The Truman Doctrine was closely tied to the fear of what American policy-makers called the “Domino Theory”: if one nation “fell” to communism, it was feared, communism would spread to the surrounding countries.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2020

In 1947, the Cold War formally began, with President Harry Truman declaring the Truman Doctrine, pledging U.S. support for anti-Communist causes worldwide.

From Slate • Aug. 1, 2019

In what became known as the Truman Doctrine, the president committed the United States to the goal of stopping the further spread of Soviet power.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin