Which policy aimed to contain communism by supporting free peoples resisting subjugation in 1947?

Which policy aimed to contain communism by supporting free peoples resisting subjugation in 1947?

• A. Marshall Plan
• B. Truman Doctrine (1947)
• C. NATO
• D. Deterrence

Answer: (B)

This question tests understanding of the United States’ effort to stop the spread of communism by backing nations resisting subjugation. In 1947, President Truman announced a policy that the U.S. would provide political, military, and economic support to free peoples who were resisting subjugation by outside pressures, especially communist influence. This explicitly framed U.S. action as containment—protecting liberty by helping countries stand up to potential domination by the Soviet Union. Greece and Turkey were the first concrete examples, setting a precedent for American foreign policy for decades. That explicit pledge to defend free peoples against subjugation is what makes this option the best fit. The Marshall Plan focused on rebuilding European economies, which helped stability but isn’t the same direct pledge to aid resisting subjugation. NATO, formed later, is a defense alliance rather than a 1947 policy announcement. Deterrence is a broader strategy about preventing aggression, not the specific 1947 policy of backing free nations against subjugation.

This question tests understanding of the United States’ effort to stop the spread of communism by backing nations resisting subjugation. In 1947, President Truman announced a policy that the U.S. would provide political, military, and economic support to free peoples who were resisting subjugation by outside pressures, especially communist influence. This explicitly framed U.S. action as containment—protecting liberty by helping countries stand up to potential domination by the Soviet Union. Greece and Turkey were the first concrete examples, setting a precedent for American foreign policy for decades.

That explicit pledge to defend free peoples against subjugation is what makes this option the best fit. The Marshall Plan focused on rebuilding European economies, which helped stability but isn’t the same direct pledge to aid resisting subjugation. NATO, formed later, is a defense alliance rather than a 1947 policy announcement. Deterrence is a broader strategy about preventing aggression, not the specific 1947 policy of backing free nations against subjugation.