How does Wallaces description of American policy compare to Trumans and Novikovs

Read excerpts from Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech and Truman Doctrine.  Students will answer some question about what they believe was being talked about in the documents.  Students can form a hypothesis about who started the cold war.  The class can share answers and further expand on their findings.  

Questions to ask are Who was Winston Churchill? 

Why would Americans trust what he has to say about the Soviet Union? and What does Churchill claim that the Soviet Union wanted?

Why did Truman believe Greece needed American aid in 1947?

What does Truman mean when he claims, “Should we fail to aid Greece and Turkey in this fateful hour, the effect will be far reaching to the West as well as to the East”?

Does Truman present American policy as offensive or defensive? What words or phrases does Truman use to present policy this way?

Pass out documents regarding telegram sent by Soviet Ambassador Nikolai Novikov to Soviet leadership in 1946 and a letter to Harry S Truman, President of the US from Henry A Wallace, Secretary of Commerce.  Again, the class can discuss findings and share views.  Again, from another Hypothesis based on these documents. 

What is Wallace's description of American foreign policy?

Wallace believes the international affairs with other countries was unnecessary and disturbing.

What is Wallace's main argument in his letter Truman?

-Wallace's main argument is that he cannot but feel that these actions (bomb-testing) must make it look to the rest of the world as if the U.S. was only paying lip service to peace at the conference table.

How does Novikov describe the US What evidence does he use to support his description?

What evidence does he use to support his description? Novikov describes the United States as a world leading diplomacy. He supports this by saying through diplomacy the American military extends beyond the borders of the United States and in the arms the race, they are creating newer weapons.

How does Novikov portray American foreign power?

1 Novikov portrays the United States as an imperial power in conflict with Soviet and Russian ideals. Additionally, he criticizes United States involvement of WWII as cowardly, suggesting that the United States waited to enter the war until victory was simple and the US could look heroic.