The Role Of Containment In George Kennan's Policy Of Communism

George Kennan, a foreign policy diplomat, revealed how the only way to stop the Soviet Union’s policy of Communism remains through containment. The United States desired to contain communism due to the animosity towards the communistic ideals. Communism served as a threat to the ideals of the Americans such as the desire for freedom, success and social mobility. By viewing communism as a threat, the second red scare emerged which also lead to the birth of McCarthyism. Internally and externally, America attempted to drive out communism and limit it. Externally, containment remains significant due to the fact that it affects the governments of other countries such as Turkey, Greece, Vietnam, Cuba, North and South Korea. The policy of containment
As the french opposed to this, Ho Chi Minh raged a guerilla warfare against them which ended with a Vietnamese Victory. However, at the 17th parallel of the country, the country remained divided between a communist country at the north and an American supported country at the south. However, as communist sentiments from rebels in South Vietnam sparked, the US desired to intervene. Moreover, the Viet Cong, commenced terrorism and assassinations towards government officials. Likewise, with the threat of the South Vietnamese government possibly being overthrown, it caused a concern for the US which remains portrayed through the Domino Theory that states how if one country possessed a communist government, than the
Initially, the US supported leaders that possessed anti communist ideals such as Batista even thought he remained oppressive and corrupt. Eventually, Castro usurps control from Batista when he loses the election and ends up in exile. Under Castro, the focus remained on helping the middle and lower class such as reforms on education, agriculture, and civil liberties. Castro also promised to free Cuba from American influences. Likewise, Castro ordered US owned fuel companies in Cuba to process fuel bought from the Soviet Union which caused the US to refuse. Also. it lead to the US placing an embargo on Cuba while catalysing the plan of overthrowing Castro through the Bay of Pigs. In the Bay of Pigs, the US-supported Cuban Exiles by allowing the CIA to train them. Initially, the plan was to have the exiles invade Cuba and have the Cuban people rise up to Castro for democracy. Instead, the Cuban people never rose up to Castro. Hence, it failed due to the lack of support from Cuban civilians for the sentiments of the exiles. Therefore, Castro seeked help from the communist nation of the soviet union due to his likings of communism. With Castro asking the USSR for help, it sparked the start to the missile crisis which also serves as a point in history where humanity lied in the brink of a nuclear war. However, the Soviets agreed to dismantle the sites as long as the US stays out of Cuba. Hence, the US failed to stop