The formation of post-war us foreign policy: G.F. Kennan’s “long telegram” and the tradition of political realism

Abstract

George Frost Kennan (1904-2005) is a famous American diplomat and historian, the author of the “Long telegram” and the doctrine of “containment”. He is an active participant in the formulation of the Truman Doctrine and the development of the Marshall Plan. He was one of the originators of political “realism”, a dominant school of thought in international relations theory. George Kennan is one of the key figures in the history of the Cold War and Soviet-American geopolitical rivalry. The conceptual, theoretically justified “containment” offered by Kennan has become a US postwar foreign policy solid foundation for decades. The study of George Kennan’s legacy, his political views, theoretical concepts and practical experience is very important for specialists in international relations and US history, and for government officials to understand the decision-making process concerning foreign policy issues, the formation of doctrines and US foreign policy in general.