Truman Administration Foreign Aid Programs

“Saving” Greece and Turkey

 Focus was Greece  Uncertainty; despair  Need for stability to make U.S. aid effective  Emphasis on “self- help” and responsibility  British withdrawal

 Principle, not specifics  Economic disorder and its consequences  Bipolar worldview  Cost small compared to return  Only U.S. in position to step in

 $400 mil ($341 bil)  “Detail of American civilian and military personnel”  Support for U.S. way of life elsewhere  Activist foreign policy

“Saving” Western Europe

 “The recovery of Europe has been far slower than had been expected. Disintegrating forces are becoming evident. The patient is sinking while the doctors deliberate.”  “Hopeless and hungry people often resort to desperate measures.”

 Combat “hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos.”  “Permit the emergence of political and social conditions in which free institutions can exist.”  “A cure rather than a mere palliative.”

 Economic resources to support U.S. foreign policy  $13 bil  Built on Truman Doctrine  National security measure

“Saving” Asia, Africa, and Latin America

 Cold War focus shifting away from Europe  Poverty, disease, hunger, illiteracy, lack of skills and capital  Continuing recognition of importance of fostering hope

 Economic realities  Relied on U.S. superiority  Shift from East-West to North-South  Built on Marshall Plan  “We cannot live isolated in relative wealth and abundance.”

 Multi-faceted internal bureaucracy  Work with UN  Private entity involvement  Move away from direct assistance  Country-specific projects based on need