1947
North America · Politics
In a speech to Congress, America commits to containing Soviet power. The Cold War has a name.
Truman Doctrine declares Cold War
March 12, 1947
In a speech asking Congress to aid Greece and Turkey against communist pressure, Harry Truman pledged that the United States would support free peoples resisting subjugation. It was an open-ended commitment that quietly reversed American tradition. The Cold War had a mission statement. Within two years there would be a NATO to back it.