""I believe it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are ... resisting attempted subjugation ... "" "With these words, Harry S. Truman announced a profound shift in U.S. foreign policy toward the Soviet Union, from a position of strained alliance to one of containment. Many historians have traced the beginning of the Cold War to this decisive speech and its policy aftermath." "In this work, Denise M. Bostdorff considers President Truman's address to a joint session of Congress on March 12, 1947. After a rhetorical analysis of the Truman Doctrine speech, the book ends with Bostdorff's conclusions on its short- and long-term impact. She identifies themes announced by Truman that resound in U.S. foreign policy down to the present day, when George W. Bush has compared his policies in the war on terror to those of Truman and members of his administration have compared Bush to Truman."--Jacket.