Truman+and+Containment

=**Truman and Containment**=

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** Harry Truman led a metaphysical, yet simultaneously very literal crusade against any vestige of communism during his presidency. This crusade is referred to as "containment" of communism, comparing the political practices and idealism of communism to that of a disease. This terminology is indicative of the negative attitude of the United States as a whole towards Marxism (the political theory of [|Karl Marx] ) at the time. His signing of various Anti-communism legislation pieces and his sphere of influence that ultimately led to the casting of the Iron Curtain across Europe show his determination to weed out any trace of Communism. ** ======

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** In the picture to the left: President Truman is signing one of the many pieces of legislation that he passed during his time in office. The uproar that his mandates and laws created are well reflected in the amount of people gathered around to view the signing of the National Security Act. His influential ideas had a lasting impact on foreign policy in the United States. ** ======

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** This legislation was the cornerstone of Truman's work towards containing Communism and was majorly the backbone of Truman's efforts during the Cold War and beyond for keeping out any influence of Marxism or any other political theories from the United States. The Doctrine was first given shape in Truman's address to U.S. Congress on March 12, 1947, and then it was put into law March 22, 1947. Truman reflects on his policy, that essentially guarantees that United States will aid any country in resisting Communism spreading through its borders, **  "  the policy of the United States is to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures  ." ======

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This plan describes the active role that the United States took in foreign affairs, particularly in Western Europe, in the rebuilding that took place after WWII. This legislature was marked by the United States' interest in preserving democracy abroad. ====== . . ..

[[image:http://www.oldenburger.us/gary/docs/TheColdWar_files/image004.jpg width="418" height="395" align="left"]]
​This motive becomes clear when Russia's response to the offer for financial aid from the United States was declined. More strings than Russia was willing to take on were attached to the financial aid for warstricken areas; it was an unspoken agreement, that if a country were to take the United States' money they were to be a democratic nation. The Marshall Plan looked to bring pieces of America into western Europe such as American trade practices, models for business, and American politics which were cultivated along with the financial success that was brought to Western Europe with The Marshall Plan. Coincedentally, the first two beneficiaries to the Marshall Plan's warm intentions were Greece and Turkey, two countries America was very invested in seeing remain free of Communism's clutches. ([|Greek Civil War] [|Turkish Civil War])

Korean War
This war was a result of tensions between Russia and the United States, and it very clearly demonstrated the desultory effect of the Containment Policy enacted by Truman. When Communist North Korea moved to attack the United States occupied area of South Korea. Pro Asian General MacArthur, during the war worked for betterring the intrarelations of Asian Countries while Truman solely wished for the ending of the pointless war that had driven to stalemate again and again. Truman scandalously fired MacArthur, leaving the war about where it began, before North Korea, with the backing of Soviet Russia, attacked.

NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's original purpose, so deftly described by the initial Secretary General Lord Ismay as to "keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down" seems to historians be solely a heavily smokescreened attempt by the United States to isolate the political theories of Communism once again. The prominence of this alliance grew exponentially immediately following the Korean War, and it solidified assured political relationships between democratic friendly European countries and America, esentially furthering the isolation that gripped any communist supporter at the time.

Fun Fact
The Baseball team The Cincinatti Reds renamed themselves The Cincinatti Redlegs in order to avoid being associated with Communism, because Red was nationally recognized and acknowledged as the 'color of communism'.

Work Cited
Howard Fienberg, Containment, [|www.hfienberg.com/irtheory/contain.edu] (accessed May 19, 2010). // George Kennan, Legislation passed during Truman's Presidency, //[|//http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAtrumanD.htm//]// (Accesssed May 20, 2010). Ryan Sanders, History of Nato, //[|//http://members.tripod.com/more_tra/1e_nato_txt.htm//]// (Accessed May 20, 2010). //// Samuel Kennedy, Summary of the Korean War, //[] // (Accessed May 23, 2010). //