The Cold War was the global conflict that dominated the twentieth century, and the strategy of containment was the U.S. response to the political, military, economic, and moral challenge posed by the Soviet Union. While surrounding himself with "wise men" such as George C. Marshall, Dean Acheson, and George F. Kennan, President Harry Truman was central to the new strategy and thus the subsequent remaking of both liberal internationalism and American foreign policy. How important was Truman in the critical period between 1945 and 1950? Was he the architect of containment or merely its administrator? What parts did top advisors play? What were the chief principles and policies of containment? Drawing on presidential archives and other primary sources, this seminar illuminates Truman's understanding of foreign policy and his role in the Cold War and the strategy of containment, and considers the Truman legacy in the post-Cold War world and the war on terrorism. Elizabeth Edwards Spalding is Assistant Professor of Government and Director of the Washington Program at Claremont McKenna College, where she teaches U.S. foreign policy and American government.

Author:  Elizabeth Edwards Spalding

Duration: 01:27:53

Published: 2006-09-26

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