Why did the United States adopt a policy of containment?
The term containment, introduced by the Truman Administration, describes the foreign policy pursued by the United States after the Second World War. The policy itself was an attempt to 'contain' the Soviet Union within its current borders and frustrate any attempts of expansion. George F. Kennan, a diplomat and US State department advisor on Soviet affairs, introduced the term in his famous Anonymous X - article. Keenan suggested a
' Long term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies'
This would lead to the inevitable break up of the Soviet Union. Since the defeat of the Nazi's the Soviets because of their communist ideology and history were considered to be the largest threat to the Western World. Arguably all of the United States foreign policies after the Second World War were in one way or another directed towards that of the Soviet Union and therefore examples of containment.
The Truman administration introduced the policy of containment, based on the work of George F, Keenan. Within his Anonymous - X article Kennan suggested three policies the U.S. should adopt in order to accomplish the 'containment' of the Soviet Union. Kennan recommended that the first goal should be the restoration of the balance of power within Europe. According to Kennan, the ultimate goal of U.S. foreign policy should not be the division of the World into Soviet and American Spheres of influence. Instead, U.S. foreign policy should aid the establishment of independent centres of power in Europe and Asia and also encourage self - confidence in nations threatened by soviet expansion through economic and military aid.
The second goal was the reduction of Soviet power projection by exploiting tensions in international communism. Since the Soviet Union projected power towards the outside, by relying on communist governments subservient to Moscow and communist parties elsewhere, Kennan suggested to exploit tensions between Moscow and the international
' Long term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies'
This would lead to the inevitable break up of the Soviet Union. Since the defeat of the Nazi's the Soviets because of their communist ideology and history were considered to be the largest threat to the Western World. Arguably all of the United States foreign policies after the Second World War were in one way or another directed towards that of the Soviet Union and therefore examples of containment.
The Truman administration introduced the policy of containment, based on the work of George F, Keenan. Within his Anonymous - X article Kennan suggested three policies the U.S. should adopt in order to accomplish the 'containment' of the Soviet Union. Kennan recommended that the first goal should be the restoration of the balance of power within Europe. According to Kennan, the ultimate goal of U.S. foreign policy should not be the division of the World into Soviet and American Spheres of influence. Instead, U.S. foreign policy should aid the establishment of independent centres of power in Europe and Asia and also encourage self - confidence in nations threatened by soviet expansion through economic and military aid.
The second goal was the reduction of Soviet power projection by exploiting tensions in international communism. Since the Soviet Union projected power towards the outside, by relying on communist governments subservient to Moscow and communist parties elsewhere, Kennan suggested to exploit tensions between Moscow and the international