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containment  

Definition

  • The concept of containment was presented by the American diplomat George F. Kennan in a long telegram to the U.S. Department of State on February 22, 1946, and in an article published in the July 1947 issue of Foreign Affairs, signed “X.” The concept was intended to influence the U.S. policy response in the specific strategic context of the Cold War, but with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the end of a bipolar world raised new questions regarding the relevance of containment—especially as the George W. Bush administration began to target new kinds of enemies. The Cold War and the Origins of the Concept Containment was adopted by President Harry S. Truman's administration (1945–1953), both as a doctrine and as a rationale for external action, and was carried on by Truman's successors, especially Lyndon Johnson (1963–1969). [Source: International Encyclopedia of Political Science; Containment]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/containment

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