Title: Was the US’s containment policy effective during the Cold War? | by August Frederico | Medium
Headings: Was the US’s containment policy effective during the Cold War?
Was the US’s containment policy effective during the Cold War?
Content: This aid served in making allies with these infantile nations and exposing them to lucrative capitalism in the hopes they turn towards capitalism over communism. For the most part, this aid was beneficial in strengthening weak, developing economies, and served to prevent both Iran and the Philippians from ever completely succumbing to communism despite internal political movements towards it (Graebner, 1977, page. 163). US foreign policy during the Cold War dictated far more powerful actions against communist forces than simply direct military deployment. Through uses of a number of powerful economic strategies and policies, the US was able to tie up, starve, and helped to orchestrate the eventual collapse of the USSR. Actions both militarily and financially were extremely effective in containing the spread of communism as dictated by the Truman Doctrine, however the most distinguished aspect of the Cold War was the extensive political warfare. US agencies like the CIA were primarily responsible for extensive espionage as they attempted to contain the spread of communism by assassinating political figureheads, rigging elections, and planting relentless international espionage networks in the interest of supporting US foreign policy. The US was responsible for a number of assassinations (up to 81) in their effort to prevent communist sympathizing leaders from coming to power. These included lower profile political malefactors attempting coups and Eastern-supported political movements in nations such as Guatemala, Iran, Greece, Turkey and The Democratic Republic of Congo (Donnelly, 1965, page. 94).