Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyOrigins of the Cold War and Containment

"I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures. I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way."

— President Harry S. Truman, Address to Congress, March 12, 1947

The foreign policy goal declared in this excerpt is most closely associated with which of the following doctrines?

  1. Containment of communist expansionAnswer
  2. B
    Defense of the Western Hemisphere under the Monroe Doctrine
  3. C
    Isolationism in European conflicts
  4. D
    Direct military liberation of Eastern European countries

Answer

Containment of communist expansion
The correct answer is correct because President Truman's address laid the foundation for the Truman Doctrine, which committed the United States to a foreign policy of containment to halt the spread of communism and Soviet influence globally, starting with economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document.
The excerpt is from President Harry S. Truman's 1947 address to Congress, which focuses on supporting free peoples resisting subjugation by outside pressures.
Identifying the document helps place the quote in its correct historical context of the post-World War II era.
2
Identify the primary foreign policy goal of the Truman Doctrine.
The policy was designed to counter Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War, which became known as containment.
Linking the document to the corresponding historical policy concept is necessary to answer the question.

Key Concept

Containment of communist expansion
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Origins of the Cold War and Containment

More questions from this topic