LAD #29: The Truman Doctrine

On March 12, 1947, President Harry S. Truman decided it was necessary to have a joint session of congress to discuss America’s foreign policy and the countries of Greece and Turkey. He first started talking about how Greece needed money and aid from the United States, and how the he knew that the American people were willing to help Greece survive as a free nation. The reason that Greece needed help was because they were in ruins after the Germans destroyed their country. Greece did not have any means to reconstruct their country which was why they asked America to aid them in creating a stable and self-sustaining economy and in improving its public administration. Greece is also plagued with many terrorist groups, and a poorly-equipped army. The reason Greece asked for our help was because, Great Britain could no longer help them, and the United Nations did not either. He then goes on to say that Greece’s neighbor, Turkey, needs our help too. Truman stated that since Britain no longer would aid Turkey, America needed to help Turkey to preserve the Middle East. The United States stated that they needed to make the world safe for democracy and get rid of the Yalta agreement. He stated that he must help the free peoples work out their own destinies in their own way. He stated that he was going to implement the Charter of the United States and that we cannot allow changes in the status quo in violation of the Charter. He stated that if America failed in helping the two countries, the effect will be far reaching in both the West and the East, and that America needed to take immediate action. He closed of by saying that Congress would agree with him and try to help Turkey and Greece, and that they would face these responsibilities squarely.