What does truman mean when he claims ,should we fail to aid Greece and turkey in this fateful hour ,will be far reaching to the west as well as to the east?

He meant that we had to help Greece and Turkey resist Communist takeovers.

http://www.johndclare.net/cold_war8_TrumanDoctrine.htm

When President Harry Truman made this statement, he meant that if the United States failed to provide support and assistance to Greece and Turkey during a critical time, it would have consequences that would extend beyond just those two countries. Let's break down the statement to understand it more clearly:

"Should we fail to aid Greece and Turkey in this fateful hour..." - Truman is referring to the United States potentially not providing the necessary assistance to Greece and Turkey.

"Will be far-reaching to the west as well as to the east" - Truman is suggesting that the consequences of this failure would have significant impacts both in Western countries and Eastern countries. In other words, it would have wide-ranging effects in Europe, the Middle East, and potentially beyond.

To better understand the context and significance of Truman's statement, it is important to consider the historical background. Truman made this statement in a speech to the United States Congress on March 12, 1947, which became known as the Truman Doctrine. He was advocating for financial and military aid to be provided to Greece and Turkey to support them against communist influences and help them resist Soviet expansion in the aftermath of World War II.

Truman argued that if the United States did not provide assistance, there was a high risk that Greece, Turkey, and potentially other nations in the region would fall into the Soviet sphere of influence. This would not only threaten those countries' sovereignty but also have broader geopolitical implications, potentially shifting the balance of power in favor of the Soviet Union.

Truman's speech and the subsequent policy marked a significant shift in American foreign policy, as it established the principle of containment that guided the United States throughout the Cold War. The statement highlights the belief that failure to act in critical moments could have far-reaching consequences, influencing the trajectory of international politics and the balance of power.

When Truman made this claim, he was referring to the Truman Doctrine, which he presented to Congress in 1947. In his speech, he sought financial aid from Congress to support Greece and Turkey in their fight against communist infiltration. Truman argued that if the United States failed to provide assistance to these countries, the consequences would be far-reaching.

Truman believed that if Greece and Turkey fell to communism, other countries in the region would also be at risk. He suggested that the Soviet Union, and by extension communism, would rapidly expand its influence in the region. This would not only threaten the interests of the United States in the Eastern Mediterranean, but also jeopardize the stability of Western European nations.

Truman's claim about the far-reaching consequences to the west as well as to the east means that the spread of communism in Greece and Turkey could lead to Soviet expansionism and the increased threat of communism to Western Europe. He was emphasizing the importance of providing aid to Greece and Turkey as a way to protect American interests and contain the spread of communism.