Cold War Foreign Policies: Truman Doctrine, Deterrence, and Domino Theory

Truman Doctrine

The Truman Doctrine was an American foreign policy whose stated purpose was to counter Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War. It was announced to Congress by President Harry S. Truman on March 12, 1947, and further developed on July 12, 1948, when he pledged to contain threats in Greece and Turkey. Direct American military force was usually not involved, but Congress appropriated financial aid to support the economies and militaries of Greece and Turkey. More generally, the Truman Doctrine implied American support for other nations allegedly threatened by Soviet communism. The Truman Doctrine became the foundation of American foreign policy, and led, in 1949, to the formation of NATO, a military alliance that is still in effect.

Deterrence and MAD Concepts

Deterrence - strategy intended to dissuade an adversary from taking an action not yet started, or to prevent them from doing something that another state desires.

MAD - Mutual assured destruction (MAD) is a doctrine of military strategy and national security policy in which a full-scale use of nuclear weapons by two or more opposing sides would cause the complete annihilation of both the attacker and the defender. It is based on the theory of deterrence, which holds that the threat of using strong weapons against the enemy prevents the enemy's use of those same weapons.

Domino Theory and Its Importance on the Vietnam War

The domino theory was a Cold War policy that suggested a communist government in one nation would quickly lead to communist takeovers in neighboring states, each falling like a perfectly aligned row of dominos. In Southeast Asia, the U.S. government used the now-discredited domino theory to justify its involvement in the Vietnam War and its support for a non-communist dictator in South Vietnam. In fact, the American failure to prevent a communist victory in Vietnam had much less of an impact than had been assumed by proponents of the domino theory. With the exception of Laos and Cambodia, communism failed to spread throughout Southeast Asia.

Nixon Doctrine

Nixon Doctrine, a foreign policy of the U.S. government, announced by U.S. Pres. Richard Nixon in 1969, whereby the United States would thereafter support allies facing military threats with economic and military aid rather than with ground troops. At the same time, he assured U.S. allies that the United States would continue to use its nuclear arsenal to shield them from nuclear threats.