Containment
History: KS3, topic 20.1.7
The Policy of Containment
Through the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan, the USA tried to stop communism spreading. This was part of a policy known as ‘containment’.
Spread of communism
- Truman (leader of America) was worried that communism would be an attractive option for European citizens, who were very poor after the war.
- Many countries had been liberated (freed) by the Soviets at the end of the war. He thought that this might give them reason to support communist causes.
The 'domino effect'
- Poland, Romania and Bulgaria already had communist governments.
- Truman feared this may spread to countries like Greece and Turkey, who struggled to fight off communist revolutions.
- This could cause a ‘domino effect’: if one country fell to communism, more countries would too.
Winston Churchill's 'Iron Curtain' speech
- Winston Churchill (no longer Prime Minister) gave a significant speech in March 1946 in the USA.
- He said that:
- ‘An iron curtain has descended across the continent of Europe’.
- This iron curtain speech described Russia's behaviour in Eastern Europe.
The Truman Doctrine
- Truman gave a speech in 1947, saying that:
- Countries had to decide between communism and capitalism.
- Communism limited people’s freedom.
- The USA would send troops and economic aid to countries resisting communism.
- This became known as the Truman Doctrine.
Test yourself on Containment
When was the Truman Doctrine?
In 1947, which countries had already fallen to communism?