Containment meant stopping communism from spreading, and the USA used aid to Greece, Turkey and Western Europe to do it.
In March 1947, President Harry Truman asked Congress, the US law-making body, to fund help for Greece and Turkey. Britain could no longer afford to support them. Greece faced a civil war with communist-led forces, and Turkey faced Soviet pressure. Truman argued that threats to these faraway countries could also endanger world peace and American security. The Truman Doctrine was his public promise to help peoples resisting armed groups or outside pressure.
This was containment: stopping communism from spreading further. It was different from rollback, which meant removing communism where it already ruled. Containment could use money, supplies and military aid; it did not always mean sending US troops.
In June 1947, Secretary of State George Marshall proposed aid to rebuild Europe. The Marshall Plan began in 1948. Aid restored production, food supplies, jobs and trade. US leaders hoped that better lives would reduce desperation and make communist parties less attractive. It would also create strong trading partners for the USA. So the same programme could help people and gain the USA influence at the same time.
- Truman Doctrine, March 1947
- Aid to Greece and Turkey against communist pressure.
- Containment
- Stopping communism spreading further.
- Marshall Plan, from 1948
- US aid to rebuild Western Europe.
Worked example: From a source detail to an inference
Source A says Truman sought help for Greece and Turkey and linked economic stability to freedom.
- Detail: he wanted US money spent on two faraway countries.
- Link: he believed unstable countries could fall to hostile influence.
- Inference: Truman saw stability abroad as part of US security.
Watch out for this
The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan were the same announcement.
The Truman Doctrine (March 1947) promised help to Greece and Turkey. The Marshall Plan (proposed June 1947) was aid to rebuild Europe.
Check your understanding
What is the difference between containment and rollback?
- Containment stops communism spreading; rollback tries to remove it where it already rules.
- Containment always means sending US troops; rollback means sending aid.
- They mean the same thing.