Case #144.0

The Coming of the Cold War

Publication Date: January 01, 1976
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Abstract:
In February 1947, the Truman administration received a pair of urgent requests: to replace Britain as the supporter of the Greek government, which was beleaguered by Soviet-backed leftist guerillas; and to bolster Turkey against Soviet encroachment. This case examines the international scene from the end of World War II up until the critical decision to supply aid to these countries, and describes the mixed reaction within the US to the request and the formation of what later became known as the "Truman Doctrine." It details both sides of the debate over aid, centering on the analogy between Stalin's Russia and Hitler's Germany. The case concludes with Truman making his pitch for aid to the Republican-controlled Congress. The supplement contains brief biographies of the principal actors in the decision, selected US public opinion polls, and chronologies of Soviet and German foreign policy.

Learning Objective:
This case offers students the opportunity to examine a complex use of analogy in decision-making. It may also be used to raise the historical consciousness of students born a generation after the start of the cold war, exposing them to the character of political argument in the United States during a period when the "eternal verities" of foreign policy were neither eternal nor veritable.

Other Details

Teaching Plan:
Available with Educator Access
Case Author:
Melanie Billings-Yun
Faculty Lead:
Richard Neustadt, Ernest May
Pages (incl. exhibits):
16
Setting:
United States, Europe
Language:
English
Funding Source:
National Endowment for the Humanities