The Truman Doctrine
Lesson starter:
Describe the content of Winston
Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech in your
own words.
Today we will…
• Understand the
Truman Doctrine
• Understand what the
term ‘Marshall Aid’
refers to
I can…
• Summarise both concepts at the end of
the lesson
Vocabulary
• Doctrine – someone’s beliefs
or set of principles
• Before WWII, the USA
had always been
isolationist
• Because of the fear of
Communism, the USA was
now prepared to intervene
to stop Communism
spreading
• This was partly to do with
Churchill's Iron Curtain
speech
• The USA would give
money/ arms/ troops to
any country to fight off
Communism
This is called…
• The Truman Doctrine (what Truman
believed was right)
• Containment (keeping Communism in one
place)
• The Marshall Plan
• George c Marshall
(US Secretary of
State)
• Sent to investigate
Communism and why
it was spreading
• He realised
Communism was only
popular when
extreme poverty
was present
Food still
rationed
Coal
shortages –
power cuts
What
Europe after
wasWWII
the
solution?
Shortages of
goods
Economies in
ruins
The Marshall Plan 1947
• Also known as
Marshall Aid
• Plan to lend 17million
dollars to Europe
• The aid would come in
the form of American
goods
• So it was not an
altruistic gesture
(they were thinking of
themselves)
What were
Stalin’s views
of Marshall
Aid?
• Hated Marshall Aid
• Viewed as antiCommunist
• Would not accept any
• Forbade Eastern
Europe to accept any
• Worried it would make
people desert the
USSR for capitalism
As Marshall Aid
flooded in, Western
Europe grew richer
Eastern Europe did
not
Today we will…
• Understand the
Truman Doctrine
• Understand what the
term ‘Marshall Aid’
refers to
I can…
• Summarise both concepts at the end of
the lesson