Early Cold War American Policy

At the conclusion of the Second World War the world found itself in a completely new international order. What was once a Eurocentric, balance of power system was now a bi-polar system dominated by the United States and the Soviet Union. Both saw one another as mortal enemies with a political and economic philosophy bent on world domination. The United States established political, military and economic doctrines that shaped the world for the next fiftty years.

President Truman quickly established the approach the United States would take when dealing with the Soviets. Truman believed taking a hard line with the Soviets would be most effective and the United States would contain the expansion of communist governments around the world. In March 1947 Truman issued the Truman Doctrine by asking Congress for aid to anti-communist forces in Greece and Turkey.

The Truman Doctrine declared that the United States would prevent the spread of communism to any country that did not already have a communist government. This was a significant change in American foreign policy. Throughout American history a strong isolationist sentiment had prevailed. The United States did not join either world wars until years after they had begun. Promising to contain communism meant the United States would be actively involved all over the world.

As important as what the Truman Doctrine said is what it did not say. No where did Truman mention removing communism from any country where a communist government already existed. The United States was not going to free the countries of Eastern Europe that were under Soviet control. The Truman Doctrine became the philosophical branch of American foreign policy.

The economic branch followed the following year with the creation of the Marshall Plan. Secretary of State Marshall developed a loan program to help rebuild Europe. The belief at the time was that economically struggling countries were breeding grounds for communists. By creating stable economies you prevent communist parties from gaining strength. Although offered to any country that applied the Marshall Plan was clearly anti-communist. Marshall said, "Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos. Its purpose should be the revival of working economy in the world so as to permit the emergence of political and social conditions in which free institutions can exist." The Soviets rejected Marshall Plan aid and did not allow any communist government in Eastern Europe to accept any aid either.

The third and final branch was the military piece of containmnet. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created in 1949 as a defensive alliance to opposed a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. An attack by the Soviet Union or any of its allies against any member of NATO would be considered an attack on all members who would retaliate as a group. Although the fate of European countries had been established long before, NATO allowed the United States to establish a strong military presence in Europe to serve as a deterrent to anything the Soviets might have had in mind.

Within just five years of the end of the Second World War the United States had established an active international foreign policy designed to contain the Soviet Union and extend American influence. The three pillars of the Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan and NATO were the dominant foreign policy pieces until the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.