--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Generally the Truman Doctrine had been…" description: "\"“Generally the Truman Doctrine had been pursued passively, though in 1949 a secret joint American-British operation had parachuted trained Albanian exi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/alex-von-tunzelmann-34625_quote_generally-the-truman-doctrine-had-been-p_493735.jpg" --- # Generally the Truman Doctrine had been pursued passively… ![“Generally the Truman Doctrine had been pursued passively, though in 1949 a secret joint American-British operation had parachuted trained Albanian exiles back into Albania to start a counterrevolution. This had failed, and nothing much had been tried since, aside from propaganda, notably the…” quote by Alex von Tunzelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/alex-von-tunzelmann-34625_quote_generally-the-truman-doctrine-had-been-p_493735.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/alex-von-tunzelmann-34625_quote_generally-the-truman-doctrine-had-been-p_493735.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08e/alex-von-tunzelmann-34625_quote_generally-the-truman-doctrine-had-been-p_493735.jpg) > ““Generally the Truman Doctrine had been pursued passively, though in 1949 a secret joint American-British operation had parachuted trained Albanian exiles back into Albania to start a counterrevolution. This had failed, and nothing much had been tried since, aside from propaganda, notably the broadcasts of Radio Free Europe. American agents did not start the anti-Communist uprisings in East Germany or Czechoslovakia in 1953 or those in Poland or Hungary in 1956.”” [Alex von Tunzelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-von-tunzelmann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The U.S. rarely launched overt anti‑Communist uprisings in Eastern Europe, relying instead on covert ops and propaganda, which often failed or were limited. **In simple terms:** America used covert actions and propaganda rather than open revolts. Key Takeaway Recognize the limits of covert interventions. Themes Cold War covert operations propaganda East Europe U.S. foreign policy Mood cautious analytical critical Type historical political When to use this quote - Historical analysis - policy studies - media studies - education - public discourse Key Concepts Realpolitik psychological warfare geopolitics Questions to Reflect On - What ethical dilemmas arise from secret interventions? - How does propaganda shape public perception? A Different Perspective Covert actions can backfire or be ineffective without local support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“Thus the Truman Doctrine—the president’s commitment of the United States to oppose Soviet expansionism, starting with Turkey and Greece—was born. The die had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-t-mcclanahan/thus-the-truman-doctrine-the-president-s-commitment-of-the-united/) [Brion T. 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Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-patterson/) > [Despite its flaws, the American electoral system has produced Lincoln, the two Roosevelts, and Harry Truman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/despite-its-flaws-the-american-electoral-system-has-produced-lincoln/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [“Acheson immediately understood the urgency of this message. He summoned Ambassador Franks and told him that the United States resolutely opposed “the use of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/acheson-immediately-understood-the-urgency-of-this-message-he/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [The only President who clearly died of overwork was Polk, and that was a long time ago. Hoover, who worked intensely and humorlessly as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-only-president-who-clearly-died-of-overwork-was-polk-and-that-was/) [Arthur M. 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What does that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-morrow/i-made-the-only-decision-i-ever-knew-how-to-make-truman-famously/) [James Morrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-morrow/) > [ Leo Crowley, Harry \[Truman\]'s Foreign Economic Administrator, tells Congressmen the theory...: 'If you create good governments in foreign countries, automatically you will have better… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/leo-crowley-harry-truman-s-foreign-economic-administrator-tells/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Harry Truman wrote scathing letters, but he almost never sent them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/harry-truman-wrote-scathing-letters-but-he-almost-never-sent-them/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“September 24, 1947, when President Truman signed a memo to the Secretary of Defense James Forrestal, authorizing the creation of “Operation Majestic Twelve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-salla/september-24-1947-when-president-truman-signed-a-memo-to-the/) Michael E. Salla ## More by Alex von Tunzelmann > [“Eden had believed it might be possible for British brains to run the world with American muscle. He had not expected the Americans to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-von-tunzelmann/eden-had-believed-it-might-be-possible-for-british-brains-to-run-the/) [Alex von Tunzelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-von-tunzelmann/) > [“The massacre of the AVH men had made for a grotesque spectacle, and its images changed the minds both of Khrushchev and of Mao…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-von-tunzelmann/the-massacre-of-the-avh-men-had-made-for-a-grotesque-spectacle-and/) [Alex von Tunzelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-von-tunzelmann/) > [“The Israeli border police guarding the central region near the Jordanian border had been told to take all measures necessary to keep order that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-von-tunzelmann/the-israeli-border-police-guarding-the-central-region-near-the/) [Alex von Tunzelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-von-tunzelmann/) > [“An essential truth about Eisenhower and Dulles’s policy on the Soviet Union is revealed in these minutes. Though they talked tough for American voters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-von-tunzelmann/an-essential-truth-about-eisenhower-and-dulles-s-policy-on-the-soviet/) [Alex von Tunzelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-von-tunzelmann/) > [“One of the problems for the United Nations Expeditionary Force was that its members had no uniform apart from those of their own countries—yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-von-tunzelmann/one-of-the-problems-for-the-united-nations-expeditionary-force-was/) [Alex von Tunzelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-von-tunzelmann/) > [“On December 20, Denis Healey asked Eden in the House of Commons whether Britain had had any foreknowledge of the Israeli attack. “There were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-von-tunzelmann/on-december-20-denis-healey-asked-eden-in-the-house-of-commons/) [Alex von Tunzelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-von-tunzelmann/) > [“Though the timing of Dulles’s decision may have been ordained by his domestic political situation, it was a shock to his colleagues and allies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-von-tunzelmann/though-the-timing-of-dulles-s-decision-may-have-been-ordained-by-his/) [Alex von Tunzelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-von-tunzelmann/) > [“Under the doctrine of “plausible deniability” favored by Allen Dulles, the president was sometimes not told things it might be inconvenient or embarrassing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-von-tunzelmann/under-the-doctrine-of-plausible-deniability-favored-by-allen-dulles/) [Alex von Tunzelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-von-tunzelmann/) > [“In 1951, the political philosopher Leo Strauss coined the term reductio ad Hitlerum to describe the often misleading comparison of an opponent’s views or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-von-tunzelmann/in-1951-the-political-philosopher-leo-strauss-coined-the-term/) [Alex von Tunzelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-von-tunzelmann/) > [“Containing Communism was a priority, but the United States government had its own plans. Since 1951 or 1952, the idea had been floating around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-von-tunzelmann/containing-communism-was-a-priority-but-the-united-states-government/) [Alex von Tunzelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-von-tunzelmann/) > [“Eisenhower was determined to avoid a direct confrontation with the Soviets. It is unlikely he would have sent American armed forces unilaterally. Yet something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-von-tunzelmann/eisenhower-was-determined-to-avoid-a-direct-confrontation-with-the/) [Alex von Tunzelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-von-tunzelmann/) > [“The Soviets replaced him with a non-Jewish figure, Imre Nagy. Nagy was a Communist, but a reformer rather than a Stalinist. He had stood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-von-tunzelmann/the-soviets-replaced-him-with-a-non-jewish-figure-imre-nagy-nagy-was/) [Alex von Tunzelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-von-tunzelmann/) > [“IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WERE TWO NATIONS. ONE WAS A vast, mighty and magnificent empire, brilliantly organized and culturally unified, which dominated a massive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-von-tunzelmann/in-the-beginning-there-were-two-nations-one-was-a-vast-mighty-and/) [Alex von Tunzelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-von-tunzelmann/) [Explore all 14 Alex von Tunzelmann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-von-tunzelmann/) ## More Truman quotes > [“September 24, 1947, when President Truman signed a memo to the Secretary of Defense James Forrestal, authorizing the creation of “Operation Majestic Twelve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-salla/september-24-1947-when-president-truman-signed-a-memo-to-the/) Michael E. Salla > [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [Harry Truman wrote scathing letters, but he almost never sent them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/harry-truman-wrote-scathing-letters-but-he-almost-never-sent-them/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [ Leo Crowley, Harry \[Truman\]'s Foreign Economic Administrator, tells Congressmen the theory...: 'If you create good governments in foreign countries, automatically you will have better… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/leo-crowley-harry-truman-s-foreign-economic-administrator-tells/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I made the only decision I ever knew how to make,' Truman famously asserted in one of his carefully scripted reminiscences. 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Hoover, who worked intensely and humorlessly as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/the-only-president-who-clearly-died-of-overwork-was-polk-and-that-was/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [“Acheson immediately understood the urgency of this message. He summoned Ambassador Franks and told him that the United States resolutely opposed “the use of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/acheson-immediately-understood-the-urgency-of-this-message-he/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Despite its flaws, the American electoral system has produced Lincoln, the two Roosevelts, and Harry Truman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/despite-its-flaws-the-american-electoral-system-has-produced-lincoln/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [ “If there had been any formidable body of cannibals in the country he \[Harry Truman\] would have promised to provide them with free missionaries,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/if-there-had-been-any-formidable-body-of-cannibals-in-the-country-he/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [Some of our finest leaders were not intellectuals at all, and I admire them enormously because they weren't. Harry Truman wasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/some-of-our-finest-leaders-were-not-intellectuals-at-all-and-i-admire/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [“Truman knew that government employees deserved fair procedures and asserted that his loyalty program would provide them. But he nonetheless expanded an already flawed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-patterson/truman-knew-that-government-employees-deserved-fair-procedures-and/) [James T. Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-patterson/) > [I am the heterosexual Truman Capote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-epstein/i-am-the-heterosexual-truman-capote/) [Joseph Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-epstein/) > [Recognise that the free world is at war with Putin, and America is the leader of the free world and should build the coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/recognise-that-the-free-world-is-at-war-with-putin-and-america-is-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) Browse all 191 Truman quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Generally the Truman Doctrine had been pursued passively, though in 1949 a secret joint American-British operation had parachuted trained Albanian exiles back into Albania to start a counterrevolution. 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