Objective: Students will analyze U. S foreign policy that developed from post WWII Cold War relations.

Post WWII, nations were no longer divided by Allied and Axis powers but by the threat of the Cold War. While Truman focused on domestic affairs his administration was simultaneously instituting foreign policy to combat the threat of communist takeover among weakened and war-torn nations.

• In 1945 the United Nations (UN) form in an effort to maintaining international peace and security, promoting human rights, fostering social and economic development, protecting the environment, and providing humanitarian aid in cases of famine, natural disaster, and armed conflict.
• March 12th, 1947 Truman issues forth a doctrine announcing U.S assistance in supporting Greece against the threat of communist takeover.
• That same year Kennan formulated the policy of “containment,” the basic United States strategy for fighting the Cold War.
• By 1948, Truman’s Doctrine on American support against the threat of communism lead to The Marshall Plan and directed its efforts to providing economic support to help stabilize post WWII countries in Europe.
• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.
• June 1950, under the auspices of the United Nations, U.S military troops were sent to South Korea to provide support against the threat of a communist takeover.

From the Learning Resources (LR):

• Truman and the Cold War
• Truman Doctrine
• Kennan’s Telegram
• Marshall Plan
• The Early Cold War
• NATO
• Any other additional material under the Learning Resources and Course Resources under to answer the following discussions.

1st Post: Describe how Truman and his administration shaped US relations on a global scale and how US foreign policy helped to combat the spread of communism at home and abroad.