What does containment policy mean?
President Truman believed the US needed more than a “get tough on the Russians” policy following the war. Russia’s history was one of expansion as much as possible and the Soviet Union was following that same idea. Because of the desire of the Soviets to expand westward, and the fact that Stalin had a pathological mistrust of the US, it would be impossible to come to a peaceful settlement with the Soviets. Thus, the policy of containment, developed by George F. Kennan of the State Department, was adopted by the Truman administration. The policy would allow communism where it already existed, but would use all force necessary to prevent any further expansion. In other words, communism would be “contained” where it presently existed.
