George Kennan was a huge political figure during the Cold War,
known best for his belief that the Soviet Union had to be
contained. His writings, such as the Long Telegram, show that
his principal concerns were that the Russians were determined to
expand their regime, and were convinced that socialist and
capitalist societies could not coexist. He wanted to both
contain the USSR and reinforce Western institutions so that the
Soviet Union would not pose a threat to America. He inspired the
Truman Doctrine, in which America gave military and financial
aid to Turkey and Greece, countries which were in danger of
being swallowed into the Soviet Union. He also inspired the
Marshall Plan, which gave aid to weakened European countries.
Had it not been for George Kennan, the attitudes towards the
Soviet Union during the Cold War may have been very different.
Policies like the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan may never
have come into existence. For all we know, the Union may have
only gotten larger and more powerful o