Communism Dbq Essay

Containing Communism: Did It Work? Victorious in the previous World Wars of the twentieth century, America became a new superpower. The American economy became a dominant force during this century, featuring a major shift from its industrial roots near the end of the century. Throughout the mid-1900s, however, there was a challenge to this seemingly unstoppable American force—communism. Americans feared the prospect of a world ruled by idealistic zealots whose existence threatened the wealth accumulated through American capitalism; therefore, in a bid that exemplified American hubris, the United States attempted to stave off communism and prevent the disease from infecting other countries across the world. In perspective, the directive of

A lack of American commitment to combating communism across the world planted the seeds for failure, especially when other factors, ranging from misappropriation of funding to the extraordinary willpower of communist insurgencies, resulted in the creation of a major communist power centered in Asia. Initially, the United States was dedicated to controlling communism. It was the policy of America, as stated by President Harry Truman in 1947, that communism will not be tolerated; rather, America would dedicate her resources to promoting the freedom of peoples who are fighting for their independence across the globe (Document B). The express dedication of Americans may have defeated communism, had it not been for a decline for that sentiment as time passed. Only two decades later, with the war against communism raging, Richard Nixon announced his intention to change American policy

President Truman distinguished his policy of dismantling communism, not through military means, but through the form of economic aid to countries under communist threat (Document B). However, while Truman may have preached universal funding for nations in need, American financial commitments exemplify otherwise. Between 1948- 1952, American provided billions in assistance to traditional allies, including the United Kingdom and France; conversely, many weaker nations received a fraction of the funding allocated to America’s closest allies (Document C). The hypocrisy of the United States, coupled with underfunding, were indicative of a failed strategy to contain the future spread of communism. First, the basic issue here is the lack of funding provided to countries who desperately needed U.S. aid. By providing minuscule amounts of funding, democratic countries were destined for failure. Without the economic aid of the United States, countries would continue to fall to the sheer enormity of the communist movement. Therefore, the misallocation of funds was a fundamental misstep of the government in their efforts to combat communism. Secondly, the United States was portrayed as a betrayer across the globe. Publically, the leader of the United States promised money to countries combatting communist insurgencies; however,