Truman Foreign Policy “Let’s Keep Score”
1. UN Established June 26, 1945 (Tie)Agreed to at Yalta in February 1945 w/big 3…April 1945, 50 Nations met in San FranciscoHQ in New YorkPermanent Members-US, UK, China, USSR, France
2. US Drops Atomic Bombs (Win)Hiroshima August 6th
Nagasaki August 9th
3. German Occupation (Tie)Potsdam Conference-
splits Germany into 4 Occupation ZonesUS, UK, France (West
Germany)USSR (East Germany
Also Split Berlin (4 Zones)
Promised to crush NAZI partyNuremberg Trials-
sentenced 11 to death
4. Japanese Occupation (Win)Only US controlled the
rebuilding of Japan Did not want to split
Japan like GermanyCreate a Democratic
governmentSupreme Commander
Douglas MacArthurHe wrote the constitutionNot militaristic!No more weapons/army
5. Eastern Europe (Loss)Right after the war, Stalin
takes the Baltic StatesLithuania, Latvia, Estonia
Stalin’s Promise of Free Elections in Eastern EuropeWent back on promises at
Yalta
Iron Curtain Speech-Winston Churchill, Missouri
“An iron curtain has descended across Europe…”
6. Containment PolicyAuthored by George
KennanFundamentally changes
US Foreign Policy foreverLearned our lesson from
WWIIAppeasement @ MunichSoviets want to expand,
we need to push them back!
Truman DoctrineAnnounced March 12,
1947“It must be the policy of
the United States to support free peoples from conquest or subjugation by outside pressures.”
What does this mean???
Marshall PlanEuropean Recovery ActApril 3, 1948Aid package to prevent
the countries of Western Europe from turning to communism
$12 Billion to France & Italy to stay strong and free
$400 million to Greece & Turkey
By 1950, W. European industrial production increased 64% = Markets for US Goods…
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
July 12, 19499 Western European
nations, US, Canada1st time in US history
where we joined into a “defensive alliance”
“If any one country is attacked it is regarded as an attack on all.”
Supreme Commander-Dwight Eisenhower
National Security Act (1947)July 26, 1947Created the Department
of DefenseAll Military Forces
under 1 CommandChairman of the Joint
ChiefsCreated Central
Intelligence AgencyReplaces the OSS –
collection of information abroad…
Created the National Security Council
7. Greece and Turkey (Win)1st true application of
containment!Why here?
USSR wanted a warm water port into the Mediterranean
Test the resolve of the US!
Britain could no longer support Greece
Gave $400 million under Marshall Plan to keep them free!