Who wrote the Long Telegram and what policy did it advocate?

• A. George Kennan — containment
• B. George Marshall — economic aid
• C. Walter Lippmann — liberalism
• D. Nikita Khrushchev — de-escalation

Answer: (A)

The question tests understanding of who authored the Long Telegram and the policy it advocated. George Kennan, a U.S. diplomat in Moscow, wrote the Long Telegram in 1946. He argued that the Soviet Union was inherently expansionist and would pursue inevitable struggle with the West, but that its influence could be contained through a long-term strategy rather than by military confrontation alone. The policy he championed was containment: a careful, patient effort to prevent the spread of Soviet influence beyond its current borders through political resolve, economic support to allies, strong alliances, and readiness to use force if necessary. This idea became the foundation of U.S. Cold War strategy, shaping actions like the Truman Doctrine and the formation of NATO. The other names don’t fit the author or the policy: the Marshall Plan was primarily economic aid to rebuild Europe; Lippmann was a journalist who discussed liberalism but didn’t write the telegram; Khrushchev was a Soviet leader, not the author.