U.S. history concepts · AP U.S. History
Containment
Containment: The Cold War U.S. policy of preventing the spread of communism beyond the areas where it already existed.
By the CollegePrepRoom editorial team · Updated · How we write and check these pages
What it means
Articulated by diplomat George Kennan in the 1940s, containment guided U.S. foreign policy through the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, NATO and later military interventions in Korea and Vietnam.
Containment also shaped domestic life, contributing to the growth of the military-industrial complex and anticommunist fears at home.
Example
The Truman Doctrine of 1947 pledged support for Greece and Turkey against communist pressure.
On the exam
Containment is the central concept of Period 8 foreign policy and appears in questions on Korea, Vietnam and the domestic Cold War.