how were the truman doctrine and the marshall plan relevatn to the american foreign policy goal of containment?

They promised aid to democratic nations and defense if these nations were threatened by other nations. In other words these plans kept Communist countries out of democratic countries.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/cwr/82210.htm

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0831964.html

To understand how the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan were relevant to the American foreign policy goal of containment, we first need to understand what containment means. Containment was a policy developed by the United States during the Cold War to limit the spread of communism. The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan were two key initiatives that supported this goal.

The Truman Doctrine, announced in 1947 by President Harry S. Truman, stated that the United States would provide economic and military aid to countries threatened by communism. It was specifically aimed at helping Greece and Turkey, which were facing internal communist insurgencies. The goal of the Truman Doctrine was to prevent the spread of communism by supporting these countries and strengthening their resistance to Soviet influence. By providing assistance to nations threatened by communism, the United States aimed to contain the spread of Soviet influence beyond its existing borders.

The Marshall Plan, officially known as the European Recovery Program, was a U.S. initiative to rebuild Europe after World War II. Proposed by Secretary of State George C. Marshall in 1947, it aimed to provide economic assistance to war-ravaged European nations. Under the plan, the United States offered significant financial aid to help European countries recover from the devastation of the war. The Marshall Plan was not explicitly about containment, but it played a crucial role in supporting the broader goal. By helping European countries rebuild their economies and become prosperous, the United States aimed to prevent the conditions that might lead to the rise of communism. It was believed that a strong and stable Europe would be less susceptible to Soviet influence and more likely to align with democratic values.

In summary, the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan were relevant to the American foreign policy goal of containment by providing economic and military aid to nations threatened by communism, and by supporting the economic recovery of Europe after World War II. These initiatives were aimed at strengthening allies, preventing the spread of communism, and creating stable conditions that would resist Soviet influence.