Analyzing DocumentsCreated by the National Archives Show
About this Activity
Start Activity In this activity, students will analyze a press release by President Truman announcing that he was committing American forces to a combined United Nations military effort in Korea at the beginning of the Korean War. Students will reflect on the language used in Truman's statement to the American people, compare it with Soviet views of events in Korea, and identify how Truman's words reflect the US policy of containment during the Cold War. https://www.docsteach.org/activities/student/the-presidents-plan-for-action Suggested Teaching InstructionsThis activity can be used during a unit on the Cold War when covering the concept of containment and the Korean War. For grades 7-12. Approximate time needed is 25-30 minutes. Direct students to begin the document-analysis activity individually or in pairs. They will learn that the document is a statement by the President about an important military matter, but will need to answer the questions to figure out which President (Truman) and what the military matter is (sending forces to Korea at the beginning of the Korean War). Students should spend a minute or two looking at the document unassisted. Then they should proceed to answer the questions that follow, which will guide them through the process of document analysis:
If necessary, check in with your students at each step in the process and model analysis as needed. Once students have finished the questions, discuss their answers as a class. They should gather that there was a conflict in Korea and that the President – President Harry Truman – told the American people that he was sending troops to fight against the North Koreans. If students have trouble with the following questions, discuss them specifically:
After completing and discussing the analysis questions, direct students to "When You're Done." They will be presented with an excerpt from the Soviet newspaper Pravda presenting
the Soviet viewpoint of events in Korea: Truman's statement and actions, unprecedented in the international relations of the post-war period, are just one more indication that the American ruling circles no longer limit themselves to preparation for aggression, but have gone over to direct acts of aggression… As is known, neither the United Nations nor any other international organ empowered the government of the USA to take those actions related to Korea and China that Truman announced yesterday. Undertaking their open aggressive act, the American government apparently intended to present the United Nations with a fait accompli. Students will be presented with the following additional background information and asked to respond to the questions below to prepare for a class discussion: Fait accompli means a done deed – something that is already done and can't be changed. This refers to the fact that the President's statement was released in the morning, before he attended a meeting of the United Nations later that afternoon. At the meeting he proposed a resolution condemning the "breach of the peace" and urging all UN member countries to give assistance to South Korea, which the UN adopted.
Provide additional contextual information if required: The United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily divide Korea in half and oversee the removal of Japanese forces at the end of World War II. The division along the 38th parallel, a latitudinal line that bisected the country, avoided a long-term decision regarding Korea's future.
To the extent possible under law, National Archives Education Team has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to "Containment in Korea: Entering the Korean War". Why did the US adopt a policy of containment?The United States developed its policy of containment to prevent communism from spreading further into Europe and the rest of the world. The concept was first outlined in George Kennan's "Long Telegram," which he sent from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
What was the purpose of the US policy of containment during the Cold War?The Truman Doctrine, also known as the policy of containment, was President Harry Truman's foreign policy that the US would provide political, military, and economic aid to democratic countries under the threat of communist influences in order to prevent the expansion of communism.
Which statement best describes the United States Cold War policy of containment?The policy of "containment" can best be described as: preventing the spread of communism worldwide.
What was the main purpose of the American policy of containment quizlet?First laid out by George F. Kennan in 1947, Containment stated that communism needed to be contained and isolated, or it would spread to neighboring countries. The US's attempt to stop the spread of communism and "Russian expansive tendencies" through economic and military measures.
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