| Free Printable American and World History DBQ Worksheet on the Cold War in Europe - Scroll Down to Print (PDF File) |
| The Truman Doctrine (1947) |
| At the present moment in world history nearly every nation
must choose between alternative ways of life. The choice is too
often not a free one. One way of life is based upon the will of
the majority ... The second way of life is based upon the will
of a minority forcibly imposed upon the majority ... 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 other 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. –President Harry S. Truman (excerpt from "The Truman Doctrine," 1947) |
| Document-based questions: |
| 1. What are the "alternative ways of life" to which Truman refers? |
| 2. What is the foreign policy being advocated by Truman? |
| 3. Critics of American Cold War policy argue that the United States was hypocritical in its foreign relations–-that the United States was no better than the Soviet Union in imposing its will on various countries. Do you agree or disagree? Utilize the Truman excerpt in your response. |
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| Click here for this DBQ worksheet in printable .pdf format (which can be copied and distributed to students). |
