[email protected]
New member
COMMUNISM:
An in-depth look at the success of the communist containment in Asia.
Paper Outline
I. Introduction.
II. What is Communism.
a. Ideas
b. Policies
III. Who was involved.
a. History
IV. How did communism get there.
a. Soviet Union
b. China
c. Spread
V. Events leading up.
VI. Why the United States decided to attempt to contain it.
VII. Goals of the containment.
VIII. The Truman Doctrine.
a. Success
IX. Conclusion.
During World War II, Communism, corabined with fascism, had proven to be very dangerous. Joseph Stalin had obtained absolute power in Russia as a result. The Communists saw their way to be perfect, and they had the idea that everyone should practice their beliefs. Communism had started in Asia, with the likes of Joseph Stalin and Mao Tsetung. In the mid to late nineteen forties, communism was thriving in Asia. The Chinese and the Russians had pushed the spread of Communism south into countries such as Carabodia and Vietnam. The United Stated saw this as a very real threat, and kept a close eye on the communist advancement.
The communist beliefs began in 1848, when Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote a book called The Communist Manifesto. This book defined the beliefs of communism, along with portraying the natural evolution of a communist “utopia” from a capitalist society. Marx and Engels defined communism to be a concept, or system, of society in which the major resources and means of production are owned by the community, rather than by the individuals. In theory, such societies provide for equal sharing of all work, according to ability, and all benefits, according to need. This, however, did not work because people are generally selfish and lazy. Each person wants to do the least amount possible to gain the most from it. This is where the conflicts arise.
Between 1945 and 1975, the nuraber of countries under communist rule increased greatly. This is partly because of the way the victorious powers of World War II divided the world amongst themselves. This is also due to the fact that countries such as China and The Soviet Union pushed their beliefs tyrannically on other weak countries.
The Soviet Union began its communist regime under Vladimir Lenin. His ideas and teachings led to mass popularity due to a poor economy in Russia at the time. Lenin was not a bad leader, however he died before he was able to see his plan take full effect. He had only one warning to the people of Russia: never to let Joseph Stalin get into power. Lenin was able to foresee the tyrant when many others were blind. The people did not realize their error when Stalin succeeded. But by then, it was too late; Stalin had turned Russia into a fascist dictatorship.
Disillusioned by the clinical self-interest of the Western imperialist powers, the Chinese became more and more interested in the revolutionary changes in Russia and in Marxist-Leninist thought. The Chinese Communist Party, as a result, was organized in Shanghai in1921. Among its original merabers was Mao Tsetung. There was a large amount of conflict between communist and anti-communist powers in china. This eventually led to a full-scale civil war. Unfortunately, the communists would come out victorious.
The United States was deeply involved in World War II when shocking news swept the nation. The president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, had died. As a direct result, Vice-President Harry S Truman assumed the presidency. In a way, “The world came turabling in on Harry Truman.” (Farrell, 325) Truman was greatly unprepared for the news that he as about to receive, and he was caught off guard. His first month in office, was largely devoted to briefings by Roosevelt’s aiRAB and advisors. Truman, and the rest of the United States, was able to close out the war successfully. Despite the fact that the USSR was allied with the United States during the war, Truman kept a strong eye on the untrustworthy communists.
The Truman Doctrine was the momentum for the change in United States foreign policy, from isolationist to internationalists; thus The United States was drawn into two wars of containment and into world affairs. The Truman Doctrine led to a major change in U.S. foreign policy from its start to its indirect influence in Korea and Vietnam. The aftermath of World War II inspired the U.S. to issue a proclamation that would stem communist influence throughout the world. However, our enthusiasm in that achievement sent our soldiers to die in Vietnam and Korea for a seemingly futile cause.
The Truman Doctrine would change the foreign policy of the United States, and the world. This policy would first be applied in the form of aid to support the democratic regimes in Turkey and Greece. These nations were being threatened by Soviet-supported rebels who were seeking to overthrow the government and install a Communist regime. A direct result of this doctrine was, of course, the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan was designed to give aid to any European country damaged during World War II. It tremendously helped ravaged European nations such as Italy and France. By helping them economically, the Marshall Plan indirectly helped to stem growing Communist sentiment in these countries.
Truman's plan for peacetime aid, the Truman Doctrine, was unprecedented in history and he faced a hostile Republican Congress through which to pass it. However, Truman informed Congress of the troubles facing Italy, Germany and France. They and small, fragile Middle-eastern states faced direct threats from Communism. Congress had problems with Truman's plan. It paid little attention to Communism outside Europe. Nonetheless, two months later on May 15, 1947, the bill passed.
This was a change of grand proportions in U.S. Foreign policy. The United States had gone from isolationists to internationalists. This Doctrine is in direct contrast to the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine served as the U.S. Foreign policy for well over 150 years. It essentially stated that the U.S. would not intervene in the World's affairs as long as no one interfered with theirs. With the Truman Doctrine, we completely reversed that role that had been only briefly breached during the World Wars. The new American policy was one of Containment: to contain the spread of Communism to the states in which it presently inhabits. The relationship with the U.S.S.R. after Truman's declaration was in constant decline.
It can be argued that the containment in Asia did not work. However, the later has a valid argument. The containment was successful, because it kept the communism where it was and impeded upon the communist spread. One might say that it was wrong for the United States to send solders to parts of the world to try to “keep the peace”, when all they were really after was to protect the United States. The Truman Doctrine has impacted everyone in the U.S. and nearly every country in the world since its declaration in 1947. There were some castigations: “Critics blamed involvement in Korea and Vietnam on the Truman Doctrine. Without the Doctrine . . . the U.S. might have minded its own business.” (McCullough, 571) While other critics argue: “Truman was trying to restore the European Balance of Power and had neither the intention nor the capability of policing the world.” (McCullough, 571) He may not have had that intention, but that was exactly the doctrine's effect. All over the world U.S. troops sit waiting to protect democracy. The Truman Doctrine ensures that even without a valid threat to U.S. security, it has a right to “protect the free peoples of the World.”
Bibliography
1) Ferrell, Robert. Harry S Truman, A Life. London: University of Missouri Press, 1994. pp. 246- 268, 353-357.
2) McCullough, David. Truman. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992. pp. 550-575
3) Truman, Margaret. Harry S Truman. New York: William Morrow and Co., Inc., 1973. pp. 344- 372.
4) "The Truman Doctrine." Grolier Encyclopedia. 1993 ed. "Vietnam War." Microsoft Encarta. 1994 ed.
Primary Sources
1) Draper, Theodore. "American Hubris: From Truman to the Persian Gulf." New York Review of Books, 16 Jul. 1987, pp.40-48.
2) "Truman Doctrine Speech."
gopher://wiretap.spies.com:70/00/Gov/US-Speech/Truman.47
3) "The Truman Doctrine: The Unstoppable Boulder." Economist, 14 Mar. 1989, pp.19-22.
4) Serfaty, Simon. "Lost Illusions." Foreign Policy, Spring 1988, pp. 3-19.
An in-depth look at the success of the communist containment in Asia.
Paper Outline
I. Introduction.
II. What is Communism.
a. Ideas
b. Policies
III. Who was involved.
a. History
IV. How did communism get there.
a. Soviet Union
b. China
c. Spread
V. Events leading up.
VI. Why the United States decided to attempt to contain it.
VII. Goals of the containment.
VIII. The Truman Doctrine.
a. Success
IX. Conclusion.
During World War II, Communism, corabined with fascism, had proven to be very dangerous. Joseph Stalin had obtained absolute power in Russia as a result. The Communists saw their way to be perfect, and they had the idea that everyone should practice their beliefs. Communism had started in Asia, with the likes of Joseph Stalin and Mao Tsetung. In the mid to late nineteen forties, communism was thriving in Asia. The Chinese and the Russians had pushed the spread of Communism south into countries such as Carabodia and Vietnam. The United Stated saw this as a very real threat, and kept a close eye on the communist advancement.
The communist beliefs began in 1848, when Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote a book called The Communist Manifesto. This book defined the beliefs of communism, along with portraying the natural evolution of a communist “utopia” from a capitalist society. Marx and Engels defined communism to be a concept, or system, of society in which the major resources and means of production are owned by the community, rather than by the individuals. In theory, such societies provide for equal sharing of all work, according to ability, and all benefits, according to need. This, however, did not work because people are generally selfish and lazy. Each person wants to do the least amount possible to gain the most from it. This is where the conflicts arise.
Between 1945 and 1975, the nuraber of countries under communist rule increased greatly. This is partly because of the way the victorious powers of World War II divided the world amongst themselves. This is also due to the fact that countries such as China and The Soviet Union pushed their beliefs tyrannically on other weak countries.
The Soviet Union began its communist regime under Vladimir Lenin. His ideas and teachings led to mass popularity due to a poor economy in Russia at the time. Lenin was not a bad leader, however he died before he was able to see his plan take full effect. He had only one warning to the people of Russia: never to let Joseph Stalin get into power. Lenin was able to foresee the tyrant when many others were blind. The people did not realize their error when Stalin succeeded. But by then, it was too late; Stalin had turned Russia into a fascist dictatorship.
Disillusioned by the clinical self-interest of the Western imperialist powers, the Chinese became more and more interested in the revolutionary changes in Russia and in Marxist-Leninist thought. The Chinese Communist Party, as a result, was organized in Shanghai in1921. Among its original merabers was Mao Tsetung. There was a large amount of conflict between communist and anti-communist powers in china. This eventually led to a full-scale civil war. Unfortunately, the communists would come out victorious.
The United States was deeply involved in World War II when shocking news swept the nation. The president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, had died. As a direct result, Vice-President Harry S Truman assumed the presidency. In a way, “The world came turabling in on Harry Truman.” (Farrell, 325) Truman was greatly unprepared for the news that he as about to receive, and he was caught off guard. His first month in office, was largely devoted to briefings by Roosevelt’s aiRAB and advisors. Truman, and the rest of the United States, was able to close out the war successfully. Despite the fact that the USSR was allied with the United States during the war, Truman kept a strong eye on the untrustworthy communists.
The Truman Doctrine was the momentum for the change in United States foreign policy, from isolationist to internationalists; thus The United States was drawn into two wars of containment and into world affairs. The Truman Doctrine led to a major change in U.S. foreign policy from its start to its indirect influence in Korea and Vietnam. The aftermath of World War II inspired the U.S. to issue a proclamation that would stem communist influence throughout the world. However, our enthusiasm in that achievement sent our soldiers to die in Vietnam and Korea for a seemingly futile cause.
The Truman Doctrine would change the foreign policy of the United States, and the world. This policy would first be applied in the form of aid to support the democratic regimes in Turkey and Greece. These nations were being threatened by Soviet-supported rebels who were seeking to overthrow the government and install a Communist regime. A direct result of this doctrine was, of course, the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan was designed to give aid to any European country damaged during World War II. It tremendously helped ravaged European nations such as Italy and France. By helping them economically, the Marshall Plan indirectly helped to stem growing Communist sentiment in these countries.
Truman's plan for peacetime aid, the Truman Doctrine, was unprecedented in history and he faced a hostile Republican Congress through which to pass it. However, Truman informed Congress of the troubles facing Italy, Germany and France. They and small, fragile Middle-eastern states faced direct threats from Communism. Congress had problems with Truman's plan. It paid little attention to Communism outside Europe. Nonetheless, two months later on May 15, 1947, the bill passed.
This was a change of grand proportions in U.S. Foreign policy. The United States had gone from isolationists to internationalists. This Doctrine is in direct contrast to the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine served as the U.S. Foreign policy for well over 150 years. It essentially stated that the U.S. would not intervene in the World's affairs as long as no one interfered with theirs. With the Truman Doctrine, we completely reversed that role that had been only briefly breached during the World Wars. The new American policy was one of Containment: to contain the spread of Communism to the states in which it presently inhabits. The relationship with the U.S.S.R. after Truman's declaration was in constant decline.
It can be argued that the containment in Asia did not work. However, the later has a valid argument. The containment was successful, because it kept the communism where it was and impeded upon the communist spread. One might say that it was wrong for the United States to send solders to parts of the world to try to “keep the peace”, when all they were really after was to protect the United States. The Truman Doctrine has impacted everyone in the U.S. and nearly every country in the world since its declaration in 1947. There were some castigations: “Critics blamed involvement in Korea and Vietnam on the Truman Doctrine. Without the Doctrine . . . the U.S. might have minded its own business.” (McCullough, 571) While other critics argue: “Truman was trying to restore the European Balance of Power and had neither the intention nor the capability of policing the world.” (McCullough, 571) He may not have had that intention, but that was exactly the doctrine's effect. All over the world U.S. troops sit waiting to protect democracy. The Truman Doctrine ensures that even without a valid threat to U.S. security, it has a right to “protect the free peoples of the World.”
Bibliography
1) Ferrell, Robert. Harry S Truman, A Life. London: University of Missouri Press, 1994. pp. 246- 268, 353-357.
2) McCullough, David. Truman. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992. pp. 550-575
3) Truman, Margaret. Harry S Truman. New York: William Morrow and Co., Inc., 1973. pp. 344- 372.
4) "The Truman Doctrine." Grolier Encyclopedia. 1993 ed. "Vietnam War." Microsoft Encarta. 1994 ed.
Primary Sources
1) Draper, Theodore. "American Hubris: From Truman to the Persian Gulf." New York Review of Books, 16 Jul. 1987, pp.40-48.
2) "Truman Doctrine Speech."
gopher://wiretap.spies.com:70/00/Gov/US-Speech/Truman.47
3) "The Truman Doctrine: The Unstoppable Boulder." Economist, 14 Mar. 1989, pp.19-22.
4) Serfaty, Simon. "Lost Illusions." Foreign Policy, Spring 1988, pp. 3-19.