Truman's Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe brought desperately needed help to millions of war victims. In Eastern Europe, the grip of communism was tightening. In 1947, the Truman Doctrine was introduced to protect free countries from the expansionist Soviet Union. It was to be the basis of American foreign policy for the next 40 years. In the election of 1948, Truman was not expected to win. Yet, his optimism never wavered, "I want to say to you, for the next four years, there will be a Democrat in the White House, and you're looking at him."
