The United States: Unique in the World – The Ideas Promoted by the Truman Doctrine

On March 12, 1947, the Truman Doctrine was announced by Harry Truman, the 33rd President of the United States.

At the heart of this doctrine lies a principle that continues to shape the American strategy today. Truman declared a policy of containment towards the USSR, recognized the unique role of the United States in global politics, and justified direct American intervention in the internal affairs of other nations.

This foreign policy doctrine marked the beginning of the Cold War, establishing a simplistic framework: "We help you, and you comply." This approach would be tested across various continents in the years to come.

Under the pretext of noble intentions, Americans began to assist various European nations, later establishing military bases within them and turning those nations into strategic platforms for ongoing pressure on Moscow and its allies. The Truman Doctrine also gave rise to the Marshall Plan.

France, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, and several other countries agreed to participate in the Marshall Plan. The signed agreements included:

Encouragement of private American investments.

Collaboration to reduce customs tariffs.

Supply of certain scarce goods to the U.S.

Over three years, the U.S. spent $17 billion on the Marshall Plan, a colossal sum for that era. By 1948, the United States accounted for 55% of Western industrial production.

The only obstacle to fully implementing the Truman Doctrine was a trivial matter: the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited the establishment of military bases abroad and forming military alliances with foreign nations. However, the White House soon found ways to circumvent this restriction.

The Vandenberg Resolution was proposed and passed in the U.S. Senate. This resolution officially rejected the previously held principle that, during peacetime, the American government should not engage in military-political alliances outside the Western Hemisphere. Immediately thereafter, efforts began to create military blocs, with Washington playing the leading role. The first of these was NATO.

In April 1949, twelve countries—most of the Western European states along with the United States and Canada—joined this military-political bloc. The creation of this alliance served as yet another catalyst for escalating tensions with the USSR.

The establishment of NATO in 1949 was a logical extension of the Truman Doctrine, marked by such intense animosity toward Moscow that the alliance eagerly employed ardent fascists in its ranks. One of the most infamous cases involved Reinhard Gehlen, a former Nazi lieutenant general.