ASII Honors
Mr. Bossio
Name: _________________________
Date: __________ Period: _________
Document A
In this famous address to Congress, President Truman stressed the duty of the United States to
combat totalitarian regimes worldwide.
His March 12, 1947, speech specifically called for $400 million in aid to be delivered to Greece
and Turkey, both of which he suspected were threatened by possible communist insurrections.
Congress responded to Truman's appeal by allocating both the requested financial aid and
U.S. troops to administer the postwar reconstruction.
President Truman's address to Congress
“…The gravity of the situation which confronts the world today necessitates my appearance
before a joint session of the Congress. The foreign policy and the national security of this
country are involved.
One aspect of the present situation, which I wish to present to you at this time for your
consideration and decision, concerns Greece and Turkey. The United States has received from
the Greek government an urgent appeal for financial and economic assistance…
…Greece is not a rich country. Lack of sufficient natural resources has always forced the Greek
people to work hard to make both ends meet. Since 1940, this industrious and peace-loving
country has suffered invasion, four years of cruel enemy occupation, and bitter internal strife…
…Under these circumstances the people of Greece cannot make progress in solving their
problems of reconstruction. Greece is in desperate need of financial and economic assistance to
enable it to resume purchases of food, clothing, fuel and seeds. These are indispensable for the
subsistence of its people and are obtainable only from abroad. Greece must have help to import
the goods necessary to restore internal order and security, so essential for economic and political
recovery…
…The very existence of the Greek state is today threatened by the terrorist activities of several
thousand armed men, led by communists, who defy the government's authority at a number of
points, particularly along the northern boundaries…
…The British government, which has been helping Greece, can give no further financial or
economic aid after March 31…
…Greece's neighbor, Turkey, also deserves our attention…
…Since the war Turkey has sought financial assistance from Great Britain and the United States
for the purpose of effecting that modernization necessary for the maintenance of its national
integrity…
ASII Honors
Mr. Bossio
Name: _________________________
Date: __________ Period: _________
…The British government has informed us that, owing to its own difficulties, it can no longer
extend financial or economic aid to Turkey…
…We are the only country able to provide that help…
…One way of life is based upon the will of the majority, and is distinguished by free institutions,
representative government, free elections, guarantees of individual liberty, freedom of speech
and religion, and freedom from political oppression.
…The second way of life is based upon the will of a minority forcibly imposed upon the
majority. It relies upon terror and oppression, a controlled press and radio, fixed elections and the
suppression of personal freedoms.
I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting
attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures…
…The free peoples of the world look to us for support in maintaining their freedoms.
If we falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world -- and we shall surely
endanger the welfare of our own nation.”
Document A Questions
1. What are three justifications Truman uses in his address to Congress for helping Greece and
Turkey recover from World War II?
2. How does Truman describe America's democratic ideals? Does it describe what you see as
the American democratic ideal of today? Explain.
3. Describe Truman's view of what totalitarianism represents for those who experience it.
4. What appears to be Truman's ultimate fear if Congress fails to pass his proposals to contain
communism and help rebuild post WWII Europe?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
ASII Honors
Mr. Bossio
Name: _________________________
Date: __________ Period: _________
Document B
U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall initiated the European Recovery Program to rehabilitate
the economies of European nations devastated by the war.
Speaking at Harvard's June 1947 commencement, he outlined the program that came to be known as
the Marshall Plan. Poverty and unemployment would reinforce communism's appeal, he said, while
recovery would create stability and thriving democratic institutions.
Fearing U.S. dominance, the Soviets rejected Marshall Plan aid. They were soon followed by Eastern
European countries under their influence.
The Marshall Plan speech
“…But to speak more seriously, I need not tell you that the world situation is very serious. That must be
apparent to all intelligent people. I think one difficulty is that the problem is one of such enormous
complexity that the very mass of facts presented to the public by press and radio make it exceedingly
difficult for the man in the street to reach a clear appraisement of the situation. Furthermore, the people of
this country are distant from the troubled areas of the Earth and it is hard for them to comprehend the
plight and consequent reactions of the long-suffering peoples, and the effect of those reactions on their
governments in connection with our efforts to promote peace in the world.
In considering the requirements for the rehabilitation of Europe, the physical loss of life, the visible
destruction of cities, factories, mines, and railroads was correctly estimated, but it has become obvious
during recent months that this visible destruction was probably less serious than the dislocation of the
entire fabric of European economy…
…Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation and
chaos. Its purpose should be the revival of a working economy in the world so as to permit the emergence
of political and social conditions in which free institutions can exist. Such assistance, I am convinced,
must not be on a piecemeal basis as various crises develop. Any assistance that this government may
render in the future should provide a cure rather than a mere palliative. Any government that is willing to
assist in the task of recovery will find full cooperation, I am sure, on the part of the United States
government. Any government which maneuvers to block the recovery of other countries cannot expect
help from us. Furthermore, governments, political parties, or groups which seek to perpetuate human
misery in order to profit therefrom politically or otherwise will encounter the opposition of the United
States…”
Document B Questions
5. For what purposes does Marshall claim for his plan? Explain your answer.
6. Compare Truman's speech with Marshall's. In which speech is there an overt threat to those
who may try to thwart economic recovery of any post WWII European nation? Site the example
by quoting directly.______________________________________________________________
ASII Honors
Mr. Bossio
Name: _________________________
Date: __________ Period: _________
Document C
When proposing the Marshall Plan, George C. Marshall offered financial aid to all war-torn
European nations, including the Soviet Union.
The Soviet government and its satellite nations later rejected the aid, resulting in the economic
and political division of Europe.
In this speech to the U.N. General Assembly in September 1947, Soviet Deputy Foreign
Minister Andrei Vyshinsky outlined his government's interpretation of the Marshall Plan.
Vyshinsky speech to U.N. General Assembly
“The so-called Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan are particularly glaring examples of the
manner in which the principles of the United Nation are violated, of the way in which the
organization is ignored. As the experience of the past few months has shown, the proclamation
of this doctrine meant that the United States government has moved towards a direct
renunciation of the principles of international collaboration and concerted action by the great
powers and towards attempts to impose its will on other independent states, while at the same
time obviously using the economic resources distributed as relief to individual needy nations as
an instrument of political pressure…
… This policy conflicts sharply with the principle expressed by the General Assembly in its
resolution of 11 December 1946, which declares that relief supplies to other countries "should ...
at no time be used as a political weapon.”…
…Moreover, this plan is an attempt to split Europe into two camps and, with the help of the
United Kingdom and France, to complete the formation of a bloc of several European countries
hostile to the interests of the democratic countries of Eastern Europe and most particularly to the
interests of the Soviet Union…”
Document C Question
7. To what organization is Deputy Foreign Vyshinsky appealing to in his address? Explain his
main points or concerns.
8. What are his justifications for bringing these concerns to this organization? In what ways do
you agree with Vyshinsky? Disagree? Explain your answer.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
ASII Honors
Mr. Bossio
Name: _________________________
Date: __________ Period: _________
Document D
UN General Assembly Resolution from December 11, 1946, “Relief Needs after the
termination of UNRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration)”
“…Reaffirming the principle that at no time should relief supplies be used as a political weapon,
and that no discrimination should be made in the distribution of relief supplies because of race,
creed, or political belief…”
Document D Question
9. Compare Marshall’s speech Vishinky’s. In your opinion, does the European Recovery
Program (Marshall Plan) violate the United Nations (UN) General Assembly Resolution?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
ASII Honors
Mr. Bossio
Name: _________________________
Date: __________ Period: _________
Document E
Preamble and Article 5 and Article 13 from the North Atlantic Treaty forming NATO (North
Atlantic Treaty Organization).
The North Atlantic Treaty
Washington D.C. - 4 April 1949
The Parties to this Treaty reaffirm their faith in the purposes and principles of the Charter of the
United Nations and their desire to live in peace with all peoples and all governments.
They are determined to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilisation of their peoples,
founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. They seek to
promote stability and well-being in the North Atlantic area.
They are resolved to unite their efforts for collective defence and for the preservation of peace
and security. They therefore agree to this North Atlantic Treaty :…
…
Article 5
The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America
shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed
attack occurs, each of them…will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith,
individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including
the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area…
…
Article 13
After the Treaty has been in force for twenty years, any Party may cease to be a Party one year
after its notice of denunciation has been given to the Government of the United States of
America, which will inform the Governments of the other Parties of the deposit of each notice of
denunciation…
Document E Question
10. In your opinion, does the language found in the NATO treaty suggest the United States was
practicing imperialism? Explain.____________________________________________________
ASII Honors
Mr. Bossio
Name: _________________________
Date: __________ Period: _________
Document F
Map and chart showing nations that received Marshall Plan aid from 1948-1951.
ASII Honors
Mr. Bossio
Name: _________________________
Date: __________ Period: _________
Document G
Map of NATO (North AtlanticTreaty Organization) from 1949-1982
Documents F and G Question
11. Compare Documents F and G. Count and list the nations that received Marshall Plan aid
and became founding members of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).______________
ASII Honors
Mr. Bossio
Name: _________________________
Date: __________ Period: _________
12. Using information from the documents above and your knowledge of social studies, write
an introductory thesis paragraph responding to the following question:
Was the Marshall Plan Economic Relief or Imperialism?
Be sure to “set up” the body of an essay by stating the thesis and three main ideas/arguments
in your paragraph.