Telegram sent from george kennan to the ussr outlining the policy of containment. Kennan is perhaps best known as the author of the long telegram, dispatched in 1946 to secretary of state james byrnes, which proposed a new approach to u. George kennan in 1946, stated in the long telegram that the soviets view of the world came from a traditional. Kennan, in full george frost kennan, born february 16, 1904, milwaukee, wisconsin, u. Long telegram and the novikov telegram the single document that best illustrated american anticommunism and general suspicion of soviet aspirations was george kennan s famous long telegram of 1946. A telegram from george kennan advising the truman administration to take on a. In 1946, while he was charge daffaires in moscow, kennan sent an 8,000word telegram to the departmentthe nowfamous long telegramon the aggressive nature of stalins foreign policy. Nov, 2014 in february 1946, officials in washington asked the u. This has become known as the long telegram, and it said exactly what the american government wanted it to.
The long period of intense rivalry between the soviet union and the united. The long telegram was an 8,000word telegram written by george kennan to the department of states in 1946, detailing his view on the soviet union and u. This quiz and worksheet combination will ask questions about this policy and. The x article, formally titled the sources of soviet conduct, was an article written by george f. When he authored the long telegram in 1946, he had been abroad for 18 out of 19 years, and had just turned 42. Kennan cablegram, known as the long telegram, that enunciated the containment policy. The telegram was prompted by us inquiries about soviet behavior, especially with regards to their refusal to join the newly created world bank and international monetary fund. Oct 15, 2007 i would venture to say that there isnt a single senior policy advisor in the bush administration who really understands the long view that george kennan so clearly outlined for mr.
Apr, 2012 the long telegram was perhaps the most cited and most influential statement of the early years of the cold war. The long telegram was perhaps the most cited and most influential statement of the early years of the cold war. Washington shouldnt have been surprised to hear stalin say so. Soviet relations, joined the faculty of the school of historical studies in 1956. Kennan sent to his state department superiors from moscow on february 22, 1946 did just that.
Because of his analysis upon his observations of soviet affairs, kennan judged that the soviet union was focused on. On the receiving end was george kennan, a career foreign service officer who had risen to be the secondranking american official in moscow. George kennan had been a american diplomat on the soviet front, beginning his career as an observer of the aftermath of the russian civil war. Foreign relations russia 1946 report american relations with the soviet union 1 of. George kennan, writing under the pseudonym x, stated that since the soviet union had been greatly weakened during. George kennan, the american charge daffaires in moscow, sends an 8,000word telegram to the department of state detailing his views on the soviet union, and u. His theory of containment was practiced by numerous presidents, and appears most eminently in president harry truman and richard nixons foreign policy. On february 22, 1946, diplomat george kennan responded with what came to be known as the long telegram, a 5,540word cable message explaining his. He lectured widely and wrote scholarly histories of the relations between the ussr and the united states. The telegram was prompted by us inquiries about soviet behavior, especially with regards to their refusal. In sum, after world war ii, americansoviet relations were in jumbles, and key to the creation of a lasting american strategy was george kennans long telegram. Yes, he said, american capitalism and soviet communism were incompatible systems. The x article took the information presented in the two prior reports and constructed a road map for the cold war.
Hopes in the united states were high during the winter of 194546. Kennan replied with an extraordinary 5,300word cable later dubbed the. George kennan s long telegram february 1946 and churchills iron curtain speech march 1946 period 8, cold war 8, vietnam war midterm test 8. He was best known as an advocate of a policy of containment of soviet.
The 70th anniversary of george kennans long telegram the. X and published in foreign affairs magazine in july 1947. George kennan s long telegram and churchills iron curtain speech episode 5 duration. I was, in a way, astonished, the oxford philosopher isaiah berlin, who first met kennan in stalins moscow in 1945, would recall. The long telegram was sent by george kennan from the united states embassy in moscow to washington, where it was received on february 22nd, 1946. Mar 11, 2008 the following reading is an excerpt from a document known as the long telegram. Long telegram featuring document text, summary, and expert commentary. Historical significance the long telegram was sent by george kennan from the united states embassy in moscow to washington, where it was received on february 22nd 1946. George kennan, foreign diplomat to soviet union, outlined the soviet mindset and suggested a policy of containment to the secretary of state and president truman. Apr 03, 2010 long telegram and the novikov telegram the single document that best illustrated american anticommunism and general suspicion of soviet aspirations was george kennan s famous long telegram of 1946. How to apply george kennans cold war containment strategy. Historical perspective posted by nicole smith, dec 7, 2011 north america comments closed print george frost kennan, now recognized in history as the father of containment served in several capacities in the united states government, but was most influential in his role as the ambassador to the soviet union in moscow in. George kennan and containment short history department.
Today is the 70th anniversary of george kennans long telegram, one of the most influential documents of the 20th century. Later that year he returned to the united states, and in 1947 he was named director of the state departments policyplanning staff. If large scale long term credits should be forthcoming, i believe soviet government may. The name long derives from the telegram s 8000word length. George kennans argument in the long telegram was that essay. Woodrow wilson school of public and international affairs 4,508 views 1. And the difference, in practical terms, is that mr. One man who had first hand knowledge was a foreign service officer, george f.
George frost kennan february 16, 1904 march 17, 2005 was an american diplomat and historian. Kennans ideas, which became the basis of the truman administrations foreign policy, first came to public attention in 1947 in the form of an. Dec 09, 2015 in considering how to do this, its instructive to look at the intellectual rootsand the resultsof the containment strategy as laid out by george kennan in 1946 in his long telegram. Kennan led the campaign for containment in an attempt to stop the spread of communism.
On february 22, 1946, kennanthen stationed at the u. George kennan sends long telegram to state department history. Kennan, a career foreign service officer, formulated the policy of containment, the basic united states strategy for fighting the cold war 19471989 with the soviet union. A secret report from the us ambassador in moscow sent to us president. Kennan is an interesting case for historians who changed history, because he changed history in a very different way. What kennan did, in his famous long telegram from moscow in february 1946 and through a briefly anonymous article in foreign affairs in 1947 was to lay out a third path between the extremes.
George kennans other long telegram about the far east. George kennan, the american charge daffaires in moscow, sends an 8,000word telegram to the department of state detailing his views on the soviet union, and. The name long derives from the telegram s 8000 word length. Kennan is one of americas most storied titans of cold war strategy and diplomacy in the 20th century, having played an almost unimaginably large role in writing policy on containing the soviet union and reconstructing europe and japan in the years following world war ii. Telegram the charge in the soviet union kennan to the secretary of state secret moscow, february 22, 19469 p. This achievement alone would qualify him as the most influential american diplomat of the cold war era. In his text, kennan outlined soviet belief and practice and proposed the policy of containment, making the telegram a key document in the history of the cold war. George kennan s long telegram february 1946 and churchills iron curtain speech march 1946 period 8. Many primary documents relate to multiple themes in american history and government and are curated by different. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Containment was first outlined in george kennan s long telegram sent from his position in the us embassy in moscow to the united states. X article on soviet union appears in foreign affairs. Jul 27, 2019 in february 1946, kennan, then serving as the u. Nov, 2009 george kennan, the american charge daffaires in moscow, sends an 8,000word telegram to the department of state detailing his views on the soviet union, and u.
Kennan was an american diplomat on the soviet front, beginning his career as an observer of the aftermath of the russian civil war. Kennan is most remembered for authoring the long telegram from moscow in february 1946, which examined the historical and ideological bases of. George kennans long telegram national security archive. After reading this excerpt answer the following questions. Telegram, george kennan to james byrnes long telegram, february 22, 1946.
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