Which policy sought to provide economic and military aid to Middle Eastern nations resisting communism in 1957?

• A. Truman Doctrine
• B. Marshall Plan
• C. Eisenhower Doctrine
• D. Containment

Answer: (C)

The main idea is extending containment to the Middle East by promising economic and military aid to nations resisting communism. In 1957, the Eisenhower Doctrine did exactly that: it pledged U.S. economic and military assistance to Middle Eastern countries facing communist pressure and stated that the United States would use force if necessary to defend them. This reflected a shift in Cold War strategy to guard critical oil resources and prevent Soviet influence from spreading into a volatile region after events like the Suez Crisis.

Think of how this differs from broader but older efforts: the Truman Doctrine focused on preventing communism from taking hold in Europe, especially Greece and Turkey, and the Marshall Plan focused on rebuilding Western Europe after World War II. Containment, meanwhile, is the overarching strategy of keeping communism from expanding, not a single policy aimed at the Middle East. The Eisenhower Doctrine is the specific regional application of that containment idea, defining a clear commitment to aid and potential intervention in the Middle East when faced with communist threats.