What was a major focus of the Truman Doctrine?

The Truman Doctrine, announced in 1947 by President Harry S. Truman, was fundamentally about containing the spread of communism. This policy emerged in response to the increasing influence of the Soviet Union and communist movements in various countries after World War II. The doctrine specifically aimed to provide political, military, and economic assistance to countries threatened by communism, particularly Greece and Turkey at that time. By doing so, the United States sought to prevent the domino effect of nations falling under Soviet control and to promote democracy and freedom.

While promoting economic alliances with Europe, strengthening military presence in Asia, and establishing new military bases were all significant aspects of U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War, they were more secondary concerns compared to the central aim of the Truman Doctrine, which was explicitly articulated as a strategy to prevent the expansion of communism globally.