How did the U.S attempt to stop the spread of communism and influence international security?

After the World War II came to an end, there were disagreements  between the Soviet Union and the other allies, particularly the United States, making this alliance to dissolve and creating a new rivalry, a confrontation of different ideals. On one side was the Soviet Union with its communism and on the other side was the United States with the capitalism. Each side believed that its own economic and political system was the ideal model for European reconstruction, and each side was concerned with its own security.

On March 12, 1947, President Harry S. Truman presented a message asking the Congress for $400 million in military and economic assistance for Turkey and Greece, and established a doctrine, the Truman Doctrine, that would guide U.S diplomacy for the next 40 years. With the Truman Doctrine, President Harry S. Truman established that the United States would provide political, military and economic help to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces. The Truman Doctrine changed U.S foreign policy, away from its usual stance of withdrawal from regional conflicts not directly involving the United States, to one of possible intervention in far away conflicts.


The fear that ongoing poverty would turn Europe to Communism, made the United States to create the Marshall Plan. It was a european recovery program which encouraged Western Europe to work together. The Marshall Plan generated a resurgence of European industralization and brought a lot of investment into the region. It was also a stimulant to the U.S economy by establishing markets for American goods.
The Soviets were not happy with that plan, so, as a response to that, they established  the Communist Information Bureau (COMINFORM), which united all European communist parties. The Cominform helped create tension between communist and noncommunist parties in Europe but never came up with a succesful economic recovery programme.


During the Cold War, the United States used the policy of "Containment" created by George F. Kennan, which wanted to stop the spread of Communism and keeping it 'contained' and isolated within its current borders, otherwise the 'domino effect' would occur, meaning that if one nation fell into Communist, the other ones would fall as well. This policy led to the U.S intervention in South Korea in order to stop North Korean Communists from taking over the country. It also led to the intervention of the U.S in Vietnam in the 60's to help the south in its struggle against the communist north which was supported by U.S.S.R .
When Kennedy was in the power, the U.S intervene in Cuba sending CIA trained forces (which were killed) after Fidel Castro took the power and  afterwards was supported by the Soviets. Worried with this situation, Kennedy wanted to strengthen U.S realtionship with Latin America, in order that none other country would fall into communism, just like Cuba.

Taking into account what was said before, the United States did everything possible to stop the spread of communism. They wanted to be the only power in the world and with the U.S.S.R in the way, they had a thread in three aspects: economic, political and security. Both countries in their fear of being attacked, developed high technology weapons and other stuff. The United States had its ups and downs in the economy but they could influence a lot of countries with their ideas of liberty and democracy. If those countries were in U.S's side, they would be helped economically and also the U.S would give them protection. The United States established military bases on the countries that were located near the Soviet Union. The NATO and the SEATO were created in order to protect the members' security interests. Of course the U.S.S.R responded helping others, for example they helped the rebels which supported communism in latin america and other countries.

The policy of 'Containment' remained central to American foreign policy throughout the Cold War, officially ending with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

References: 

• Luis Monroy. Cold War Legacy. Power Point Presentation
• Truman Doctrine http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=81
• The Truman Doctrine http://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/TrumanDoctrine
• Marshall Plan http://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/MarshallPlan
• Kennan and Containment http://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/Kennan
• Rober Wilde. 'Containment'. http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/glossary/g/glcontainment.htm