Threat
The Iron curtain
ON MARCH 5, 1946, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER WINSTON CHURCHILL HAD WARNED THE WORLD OF THE SOVIET TREAT OF COMMUNISM. CHURCHILL HAD STATED, "FROM STETTIN IN THE BALTIC TO TRIESTE IN THE ADRIATIC, AN IRON CURTAIN HAD DESCENDED ACROSS THE CONTINENT." THUS, THE IRON CURTAIN REPRESETED THE DIVISION BETWEEN THE EAST AND THE WEST (COMMUNIST).
HOWEVER, THE SOVIET HEGEMONY HAD ALRADY BEEN INITIATED IN THE REGION BY THE TIME THAT CURCHILL HAD PRESENTED HIS SPEECH AT WESTMINSTER COLLEGE IN FULTON, MISSOURI.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE SOVIETS HAD FORCED THE KING OF ROMANIA TO APPOINT A PRO-COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT. CONSEQUENTLY, THE COMMUNIST LEADERS HAD IMPLEMENTED THE "SECRET POLICE" TO ELIMINATE ALL OPPOSITION.
JOSEPH STALIN HAD QUESTIONED AS TO WHY THE "PEACFUL ASPIRATIONS" OF THE SOVIET UNION HAD BEEN VIEWED AS "EXPANSIONIST TENDENCIES".
HOWEVER, THE SOVIET HEGEMONY HAD ALRADY BEEN INITIATED IN THE REGION BY THE TIME THAT CURCHILL HAD PRESENTED HIS SPEECH AT WESTMINSTER COLLEGE IN FULTON, MISSOURI.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE SOVIETS HAD FORCED THE KING OF ROMANIA TO APPOINT A PRO-COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT. CONSEQUENTLY, THE COMMUNIST LEADERS HAD IMPLEMENTED THE "SECRET POLICE" TO ELIMINATE ALL OPPOSITION.
JOSEPH STALIN HAD QUESTIONED AS TO WHY THE "PEACFUL ASPIRATIONS" OF THE SOVIET UNION HAD BEEN VIEWED AS "EXPANSIONIST TENDENCIES".
communism in Greece and Turkey
FOLLOWING THE WAR, GREECE AND TURKEY HAD BEEN THREATENED BY POTENTIAL COMMUNIST TAKEOVERS. IN 1946, A CIVIL WAR HAD BEEN INITIATED IN GREECE IN RESPONSE TO A COMMUNIST ATTEMPT TO OVERTAKE THE GOVERNMENT. HOWEVER, YUGOSLAVIA HAD PROVIDED SUPPORT TOWARD THE COMMUNIST REBELS.
IN TURKEY, THE USSR HAD SOUGHT CONTROL OF A SIGNIFICANT TURKISH CHANNEL, THE DARDANELLES WHICH PROVIDED A LINK BETWEEN THE SOVIET PORTS ON THE BLACK SEA WITH THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA.
IN TURKEY, THE USSR HAD SOUGHT CONTROL OF A SIGNIFICANT TURKISH CHANNEL, THE DARDANELLES WHICH PROVIDED A LINK BETWEEN THE SOVIET PORTS ON THE BLACK SEA WITH THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA.
COntainment of communism
IN RESPONSE TO THE COMMUNIST THREAT, PRESIDENT HARRY S. TRUMAN OUTLINED A POLICY KNOWN AS THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE. HE HAD STATED, " IT MUST BE THE POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES TO SUPPORT FREE PEOPLES WHO ARE RESISTING ATTEMPTED [CONQUEST] BY ARMED MINORITIES OR BY OUTSIDE PRESSURES."
TRUMAN HAD ASKED CONGRESS FOR NEARLY $400 MILLION IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL AID TO BOTH GREECE AND TURKEY.
CONGRESS HAD GRANTED TRUMAN'S RREQUEST, AND THERFORE THE FINANCIAL AID HAD HELPED THE GREEK GOVERNMENT DEFEAT THE COMMUNIST REBELS. tHUS, TURKEY HAD ALOS RESISTED THE CONSISTENT THREAT POSED BY THE SOVIET UNION. TRUMAN HOPED TO STOP THE SPREAD OF COMMUIST THROUGH THE FOREIGN POLICY KNOWN AS CONTAINMENT.
IN 1947, PRESIDENT TRUMAN HAD PETITIONED CONGRESS TO REORGANIZE THE GOVERNMENT SCURITY AGENCIES. SUBSEQUENTLY, CONGREE PASSED THE NATIONAL SECURITY ACT. THE LAW CREATED THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL (NSC) AND THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (CIA).
TRUMAN HAD ASKED CONGRESS FOR NEARLY $400 MILLION IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL AID TO BOTH GREECE AND TURKEY.
CONGRESS HAD GRANTED TRUMAN'S RREQUEST, AND THERFORE THE FINANCIAL AID HAD HELPED THE GREEK GOVERNMENT DEFEAT THE COMMUNIST REBELS. tHUS, TURKEY HAD ALOS RESISTED THE CONSISTENT THREAT POSED BY THE SOVIET UNION. TRUMAN HOPED TO STOP THE SPREAD OF COMMUIST THROUGH THE FOREIGN POLICY KNOWN AS CONTAINMENT.
IN 1947, PRESIDENT TRUMAN HAD PETITIONED CONGRESS TO REORGANIZE THE GOVERNMENT SCURITY AGENCIES. SUBSEQUENTLY, CONGREE PASSED THE NATIONAL SECURITY ACT. THE LAW CREATED THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL (NSC) AND THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (CIA).
BY: ABTIN TOSHTZAR MARPLE NEWTOWN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PUBLISHED: FEB. 10 2013 EDITED: MAR. 2 2013