United States History
Name:______________________
Cold War Origins
The Truman Doctrine and Containment Theory DBQ
DBQ: “The Truman Doctrine: $400 million well spent?”
Background: The Truman Doctrine was a part of the larger containment policy
implemented by President Truman to help nations resist Soviet aggression by using
financial and military aid. Greece and Turkey were only a few nations that received US
aid. Was this a necessary expense or were there greater need of these funds elsewhere?
Objective: Students will research primary source documents in order to write a 5
paragraph essay either supporting or negating the above question using 6 of 9 of the
sources provided. Students must note in their writing which document they are using to
support their statements. (see below) It would be a good idea to follow the template
below to organize your essay and to review the scoring guide for assessment purposes.
Template:
I.
Introduction (10 pts)
1. Grabber statement: grabs the reader right away
2. Background on topic: give 2-3 sentences
3. Provide Thesis: which is the answer to the question*
4. Road Map: Lay out your thesis
II.
Body Paragraphs: (30 points total)
1. Baby thesis: Topic sentences of each paragraph that link to your
Larger thesis
2. Use 2-3 documents per paragraph to tell story and prove your
argument. Cite which documents you used to prove your points
(type of document, title, author, date)
3. Clinch each body paragraph by linking it to the main thesis
III.
Conclusion: (5 points)
1. Restate your thesis/argument
2. “So What” statement: connect your topic to something going on today.
Please Note* You will need to be analytical in your thesis, a restatement of the question will not
be sufficient.
Scoring Guide
Introduction:
1. Grabber statement
Name:________________________
____/1
2. Background Information
_____/2
3. Question Answered
_____/1
4. Analytical Thesis
_____/5
5. Road Map
_____/1
Body Paragraph 1
Body Paragraph 2
Body Paragraph 3
Baby Thesis
____/2
Baby Thesis
____/2
Baby Thesis
____/2
Documents
_____/6
Documents
____/6
Documents
____/6
“Clinch”
_____/2
“Clinch”
____/2
“Clinch”
____/2
Conclusion:
Mechanics:
Restate Thesis_______/2
Organization______/2
Connect to Present_______/3
Spelling/Grammar_______/3
Total:____________/50
Notes:
Students will review and analyze the documents listed below with the instructor-- using
the document analysis sheets provided. As a class, students will categorize the
documents by considering the main points, points of view, dates, type of documents,
and authors.
Documents/Source List
1. “Recommendation for Assistance to Greece and Turkey” President Harry S.
Truman speech to Congress March 12, 1947. (President Harry S. Truman
Presidential Library, Independence, MO)
2. “Truman’s “Doctrine” Becomes Law at Last “ Turner Catledge, NY Times May
25, 1947. (President Harry S. Truman Presidential Library Independence, MO)
3. Letter from President Truman to Prime Minister Maximos of Greece March 15,
1947. (Harry Truman Presidential Library)
4. Letter from James Kakridas to Maurice Tobin, June 25, 1948. (Harry S. Truman
Presidential Library)
5. Letter from George Xanthaky to President Truman, October 22, 1948. (Harry S.
Truman Presidential Library)
6. Excerpts from “Manifest Destiny, 1947” from The Nation. Freda Kirchwey.
March 22, 1947 (Harry S. Truman Presidential Library)
7. Cartoon of Truman Doctrine (Harry S. Truman Presidential Library)
8. Allocation of Funds related to the Truman Doctrine, (The Americans, 1994)
9. Map of Europe circa 1950 (The Americans, 1994)