George F. Kennan's Influence On US Foreign Policy

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As World War II came to a close, relations between the Soviet Union and United States began to strain, creating a power struggle between the two superpowers. Faced with the responsibility of preserving democracy, President Harry S. Truman resisted Soviet aggression by instituting a policy of containment. Without any knowledge of the inner workings of the USSR, Truman based a significant portion of his policy off of the writings of George F. Kennan, an expert in Russian culture and politics. In this investigation I will examine the degree of impact George Kennan’s expertise had on US foreign policy; primarily through an analysis of The Sources of Soviet Conduct and National Security Council Report 68. I will use these documents to make a conclusion …show more content…
Great Britain terminates assistance to Greece due to financial pressures - urges the US to take responsibility of sending resources to Greece in order to prevent the possibility of a communist uprising.
Political instability in Greece and Turkey would jeopardize security in the Middle East.
Stalin places extreme pressure on Turkey with talks of annexing Turkish territory and building military bases in the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits.
Truman addresses joint session of congress on March 12, 1947, asks for permission to grant $400 million worth of economic aid to Greece and Turkey.
US pledges to send economic resources via Truman Doctrine to nations along the periphery of Soviet Union - whether threatened by insurgent communist groups or Soviet imperialism.
Kennan rejects Truman Doctrine for being too universal.
Kennan and the European Recovery Program
Kennan heads Policy Planning Staff (PPS) at request of George C. Marshall in January, 1947.
PPS serves as think tank for department of state; analyzes policy and serves as “second opinion” to Department of State.
Policy Planning Staff reports to Department of State to coordinate
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