why did president truman Doctrine and the marshall plan? was it a good decision?

Answer 1

Truman enacted the Marshall Plan for a few reasons.

First, the war had devastated European allies, and that was going to hurt American trade. Having fewer strong allies also weakened America's political position.

Second, the plan was good for American businesses. European infrastructure had been badly damaged by the war, while America had escaped mostly unscathed. This gave American businesses a leg-up and allowed them to solidify international dominance after several years of protectionist policies at home had cultivated them. This ties in strongly to the first point.

Third, the Americans were worried about the only other superpower to escape the war: the Soviet Union. To make sure that the Soviets did not gain influence and spread communism, the Americans began enacting a doctrine of containment. The Marshall Plan was a big part of that doctrine, and the heart of the Truman doctrine (also to do with containment and directed aid.)

The plan seems to have worked fairly well. Few credit the entire post-war recovery on the Plan, but historians tend to agree it helped. The long-term containment impact is a little less clear.

You can find a lot more on it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_plan