US Foreign Policy in Five Doctrines: 2. The Truman Doctrine

Justin Webb looks back at the five big US foreign policy shifts from the Monroe Doctrine to Donald Trump. Over five episodes he and his guests look at how America’s approach to the world has constantly changed over time. This may help answer a really big question - how radical is the way Donald Trump deals with the world? Is he really an outlier in US history? Or do his actions reflect the changing patterns of American power?

In this episode Justin discusses The Truman Doctrine with Jay Sexton, Professor of History and Director of the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri and Barbara Perry, Professor in Presidential Studies at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Presenter: Justin Webb Producers: Caroline Bayley and Kirsteen Knight Researcher: Helena Warwick-Cross Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound engineer: Tom Brignell

Credit: Truman's address courtesy of the Harry S Truman Library and Columbia Broadcasting System.