akritas
11-25-2006, 06:32 AM
US President Truman in 1947 proclaimed to the world that since Britain could no longer maintain her position in Greece, the United States would take up the fight against communism. Thus America strategic frontiers were extended to Epirus and Macedonia and western Thrace.
The Truman Doctrine had an enormous effect on the Greek situation. But its chief significance was as proof of the deepening world-crisis. It reflected the growing disunity of the Big Three, just as the handling of the Battle of Athens reflected their wartime unity.
The Kremlin could not have liked Churchill intervention against the EAM. But sticking to the terms of the 1944 Anglo-Russian pact that divided the Balkans and assigned Greece to Britain, it kept strictly quiet. It was the United States rather than USSR that protested Churchill's intervention.
And it was an American, Secretary of State Stettinius, who made the caustic statement on December 5, 1944, that Allied peoples had the right "to work out their problems of government along democratic lines without influence from the outside."
This expression of disapproval was an exception, however. By and large, Washington kept as quiet as Moscow during the following weeks, though it is known that in private President Roosevelt was as critical of British actions as Marshal Stalin. The United States, like Soviet Union, subordinated its views on Greece to the overriding necessity of keeping unity against the Axis.
Between the Battle of Athens and Truma pronouncement, the United States shifted from a passive to an active role in Greek affairs. This shift illustrates the startling change in relations among the Big Three. Peace had dissolved their wartime unity.
Soon after the surrender of Germany and Japan, these relations began to deteriorate. The inevitable scramble for a new postwar balance of power involved Britain and Russia in disputes covering the whole of eastern Europe and the Near East. This Anglo-Soviet feud changed Greece's position on the chessboard. During the war, Russia had kept hands off. Now, when Britain challenged Russian policies in Rumania and Poland and Iran, Russia countered by opposing British policies in Greece. As James Byrnes observed, "Whenever the Soviets were faced with an issue that annoyed them or placed them on the defensive it was standard operating procedure for them to gather up a sheaf of British and American press reports from Greece and launch a counterattack."
Thus the more Big Three unity disintegrated, the more Greece became the bone of contention between East and West. And inevitably the United States shifted from neutrality to support of Britain's Greek policy. American representatives took Britain's side during the bitter AngloSoviet debates in the Security Council in February, September, and December 1946. Also the United States took the lead in organizing the Allied Mission to observe the March 1946 elections and defended the Mission's report against scathing Soviet criticism.
It was the logical next step, when the British announced on 27 February 1947, that they could no longer help Greece, for the President to decide that the United States must assume Britain's responsibilities in Greece in order to keep her out of the Soviet orbit.
Hence the Truman Doctrine, the basis of America Greek policy until middle of 50s.Unfortunely since then America policy is shift specially after 60s and the raise of the Cyprus issue. This is other issue.
source
1-Chris Woodhouse, The Struggle for Greece,1941-1949
2-L.S. Stayrianos, Greece and American Dillema
3-Alexandros Zaousis,Oi apenanti Ohthes
The Truman Doctrine had an enormous effect on the Greek situation. But its chief significance was as proof of the deepening world-crisis. It reflected the growing disunity of the Big Three, just as the handling of the Battle of Athens reflected their wartime unity.
The Kremlin could not have liked Churchill intervention against the EAM. But sticking to the terms of the 1944 Anglo-Russian pact that divided the Balkans and assigned Greece to Britain, it kept strictly quiet. It was the United States rather than USSR that protested Churchill's intervention.
And it was an American, Secretary of State Stettinius, who made the caustic statement on December 5, 1944, that Allied peoples had the right "to work out their problems of government along democratic lines without influence from the outside."
This expression of disapproval was an exception, however. By and large, Washington kept as quiet as Moscow during the following weeks, though it is known that in private President Roosevelt was as critical of British actions as Marshal Stalin. The United States, like Soviet Union, subordinated its views on Greece to the overriding necessity of keeping unity against the Axis.
Between the Battle of Athens and Truma pronouncement, the United States shifted from a passive to an active role in Greek affairs. This shift illustrates the startling change in relations among the Big Three. Peace had dissolved their wartime unity.
Soon after the surrender of Germany and Japan, these relations began to deteriorate. The inevitable scramble for a new postwar balance of power involved Britain and Russia in disputes covering the whole of eastern Europe and the Near East. This Anglo-Soviet feud changed Greece's position on the chessboard. During the war, Russia had kept hands off. Now, when Britain challenged Russian policies in Rumania and Poland and Iran, Russia countered by opposing British policies in Greece. As James Byrnes observed, "Whenever the Soviets were faced with an issue that annoyed them or placed them on the defensive it was standard operating procedure for them to gather up a sheaf of British and American press reports from Greece and launch a counterattack."
Thus the more Big Three unity disintegrated, the more Greece became the bone of contention between East and West. And inevitably the United States shifted from neutrality to support of Britain's Greek policy. American representatives took Britain's side during the bitter AngloSoviet debates in the Security Council in February, September, and December 1946. Also the United States took the lead in organizing the Allied Mission to observe the March 1946 elections and defended the Mission's report against scathing Soviet criticism.
It was the logical next step, when the British announced on 27 February 1947, that they could no longer help Greece, for the President to decide that the United States must assume Britain's responsibilities in Greece in order to keep her out of the Soviet orbit.
Hence the Truman Doctrine, the basis of America Greek policy until middle of 50s.Unfortunely since then America policy is shift specially after 60s and the raise of the Cyprus issue. This is other issue.
source
1-Chris Woodhouse, The Struggle for Greece,1941-1949
2-L.S. Stayrianos, Greece and American Dillema
3-Alexandros Zaousis,Oi apenanti Ohthes