Why did the USA adopt a policy of containment towards Communism under the Truman administration?

Question

And the about the Truman administration, is it the same as Truman's Doctrine?

The policy of containment was to get rid of communism in Russia right? Is there other reasons why the policy was adopted under that administration, i can't seem to find any others !!

Answer 1

Truman did want to "contain" the spread of communism but the Truman Doctrine was originally introduced to save Greece and Turkey whom Great Britain had abandoned.

Answer 2

The 'Truman administration' means the time when Truman was president.

The Truman doctrine was his  plan to stop the spread of Communism, though not interfering with Communism where it was already in place.  

The Truman doctrine had 2 parts , economic and military.

You can also think of them as the 'carrot' and the 'stick':

1) The Marshall Plan, which economically built up many nations in Western Europe to help them recover from the war.  

(At first, it focused on Greece and Turkey, later on nearly all Western European countries in WWII)  The US reasoned if people were prosperous, they'd be less like likely to  choose Communism.  (the carrot)

2)Containment - a military plan to stop the spread of Communism.  Stalin had spread Communism in Europe, by conquering many nations in Eastern Europe.  The US would set up bases in Western Europe, with their own and European soldiers, to defend against a Soviet attack. (the stick)

The policy of containment is important because it led to later US involvement in Korea, and Vietnam.  (Korea got both #1 and #2 above, Vietname got just #2)  The key planners here James Macnamara and John Foster Dullles...They were trying to implement the Truman Doctrine, which had worked so well against Russian Communism, to Chinese Communism...with mixed results.

Answer 3

No, the reason for the containment was to stop the spread of communism. It stated it would not interfere with countries who already have communism and those who wanted communism. They would however interfere with any countries whose people did not want communism. staisil-He was also asking about containment not just the Truman Doctrine.

Answer 4

Both responders are correct.  You must also look at the world politics of the period.  Stalin had closed off Berlin's life-line highway from the west, Mao took over China and sent Chang Kai Shek into exile on Formosa and Castro had already made one (failed) attempt at over throwing Batista in Cuba...