Final answer:
The Long Telegram sent by George Kennan in 1946 proposed the strategy of containment against Soviet expansion, significantly influencing U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War. It led to the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, NATO's formation, and the U.S. stance in global conflicts against communism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Impact of the Long Telegram
In February 1946, George Kennan, serving as the U.S. embassy's head in Moscow, sent an 8,000-word analysis to Washington, known as the Long Telegram. This message turned out to be highly influential, shaping the United States' approach towards the Soviet Union and the general strategy during the early years of the Cold War. Kennan urged a strategy of containment to prevent the expansion of Soviet power.
As per Kennan's analysis, the Soviet Union, under Stalin's leadership, saw no possibility of long-term peace with capitalist nations and was bent on expanding communism worldwide. He posited that the U.S. must adopt a long-term, firm, and vigilant approach to confine Soviet influence and expansion. This policy of containment went on to influence numerous U.S. decisions, paving the way for significant events such as the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, NATO's formation, and the United States' involvement in various global conflicts where communism was seen to be spreading.
The Long Telegram amplified the burgeoning anticommunist sentiment in the U.S. and justified foreign policies that sought to halt the advancement of communism globally, leading to the entrenchment of the Cold War's bipolar geopolitical landscape. It was based on Kennan's belief that the internal weaknesses of the Soviet system would eventually lead to its collapse if contained successfully.