Which policy did Truman articulate to support free peoples resisting communism after World War II?

• A. The Truman Doctrine
• B. Containment
• C. The Berlin Airlift
• D. The Marshall Plan

Answer: (B)

The policy described is the Truman Doctrine. In 1947 Truman declared that the United States would provide political, military, and economic aid to free peoples resisting subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures, with Greece and Turkey as the initial examples. This explicit pledge to help nations fight communist encroachment became the foundation for U.S. intervention to stop the spread of communism after World War II. While it inspired the broader strategy of containment—aimed at preventing further expansion of Soviet influence—the doctrine itself is the specific stance Truman articulated. The other options refer to different actions: the Berlin Airlift was a response to the Soviet blockade of Berlin, and the Marshall Plan was economic aid to rebuild Western Europe.