What does the Truman Doctrine primarily seek to do?

The Truman Doctrine primarily seeks to contain the spread of communism, which was a critical policy during the early Cold War period. Announced by President Harry S. Truman in 1947, the doctrine was a response to growing concerns about Soviet influence in Europe and beyond, particularly in Greece and Turkey, where there were significant threats of communist takeover.

Truman articulated that the United States would support free peoples resisting subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures, effectively committing the U.S. to a strategy of containment. This meant providing political, military, and economic assistance to countries at risk of falling under communist control, thereby aiming to curb the global expansion of the USSR and its ideologies. The doctrine laid the groundwork for U.S. foreign policy in the subsequent decades and significantly influenced international relations during the Cold War.

In contrast, other options do not accurately capture the primary focus and intent of the Truman Doctrine. For instance, while promoting economic growth in Western Europe was a part of the broader Marshall Plan, it was not the main goal of the Truman Doctrine itself. Similarly, while disarmament of nuclear weapons and support for the United Nations are important issues in international relations, they are not the central tenets of the Truman Doctrine, which