Defence
The Truman Doctrine, announced by US President Harry Truman in March 1947, aimed mainly at:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option B — Containment of Soviet (communist) expansion
Detailed Solution
The Truman Doctrine, announced by US President Harry S. Truman on 12 March 1947, aimed at "containing" the spread of Soviet influence and communism, by supporting countries threatened by communist takeover.
Background:
- After the Second World War, the Soviet Union established communist governments in many countries of Eastern Europe.
- In Greece, a civil war was being fought between the government and communist rebels.
- In Turkey, the Soviet Union was demanding control over the Turkish Straits.
- Britain, weakened by the war, announced that it could no longer give aid to Greece and Turkey.
The doctrine:
- In a speech to the US Congress, Truman said that it must be the policy of the United States "to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures".
- He asked the Congress for 400 million dollars in military and economic aid for Greece and Turkey.
The policy of containment:
The idea of containment was developed by the American diplomat George F. Kennan, in his "Long Telegram" (1946) and an article (1947).
Containment meant stopping the spread of communism to new countries, rather than trying to remove it where it already existed.
It became the basis of US foreign policy during the Cold War.
Related steps:
- The Marshall Plan (1948), for the economic recovery of Western Europe.
- The formation of NATO (1949), a military alliance of the USA and Western European countries.
- The Soviet Union responded with the Molotov Plan, the Cominform (1947), and later the Warsaw Pact (1955).
Significance:
- The Truman Doctrine is often regarded as the formal beginning of the Cold War.
- The Cold War lasted until the collapse of the Soviet Union.
India's response:
India, under Nehru, chose not to join either bloc, and followed a policy of non-alignment.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The doctrine was not about rebuilding Japan, ending colonial rule in Asia, or creating the United Nations (1945).
Quick tip
Remember: Truman Doctrine (12 March 1947) = containment of communism (aid to Greece and Turkey); Marshall Plan (1948); NATO (1949).
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World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers world GK: countries with their capitals, currencies and parliaments, national symbols, famous landmarks, the longest, largest and highest features of the world, and international boundary lines such as the Radcliffe, McMahon and Durand Lines. The most common questions match a country with its capital or currency, or a parliament with its name (such as the Knesset of Israel or the Diet of Japan). Revise countries continent by continent, giving extra attention to India's neighbours. Questions on boundary lines usually ask which two countries a line separates. Practise the world GK questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.