Introduction to International Relations

Question 1

        Communism is defined as the ideology that calls for the elimination of capitalist institutions and the establishment of a collectivist society with which land and capital are socially owned and in which class conflict or the course of power no longer exist. This ideology leads into the second longest foreign policy practiced by the United States after the policy of isolationism, Containment. Containment was an attempt by the United States and its Capitalist allies to stop the spread of Soviet Union’s Communist influence on the world focusing mainly on the spread of communism into Eastern Europe. This was a large fear in the International community because after the Second World War Joseph Stalin was able to eliminate domestic forms of Capitalism within Soviet Union borders and it was believed that his next target was eliminating the menace of capitalism abroad. Addressed in George Kennan’s Long Telegram is the Russian-Communist projection of Marxian ideology or in other words the Soviet Union’s interpretation and plan of action based off the Manifesto of the Communist Party by Karl Marx. Kennan states that this projection consists of four parts; the first being that the central factor in the life of man is the system by which material goods are produced and exchanged. The second part states that the Capitalist systems of production inevitably lead to the exploitation of the working class and this leads into the third part which explains that Capitalism contains the seed of its own destruction in the hands of said working class. The final part of Soviet Union Marxist belief is that Imperialism leads directly to war and revolution. However, Karl Marx’s Communist dream does not come into fruition in the Soviet Union because according to Kennan after the death of Lenin dictatorial power becomes necessary to establish order and continue the disintegration of the capitalistic economy within the Soviet Union borders.

                The Manifesto of the Communist Party addresses the true Marxist beliefs of communism and through understanding the ideas of Karl Marx policies of the United States during the Cold War made sense. The manifesto directly threatens interests of the Capitalist governments of the time because it calls Communists across the glove to support every Communist revolution against the social and political order. Marx also says that they can attain the end to conflict only through the forceful overthrow of all existing social conditions. Communists worldwide, led by the Soviets are called to go to war with the capitalist governments of the world. This direct threat to the national security of the U.S validates the claims by Kennan that the Soviets need to be pushed back to remain within the Iron Curtain because any other action would result in the spread of Communism and as a consequence a growth in the Communist movement against Capitalism. According to the Manifesto imperialism was the final form of Capitalism and would be the needle in the coffin for any Capitalist government that still had imperial tendencies; however, this Communist teaching seems to have been lost on the Soviets who used their hegemonic power following the Second World War to expand their aura of influence past the Iron Curtain states of Eastern Europe into Asia, Africa and Latin America. This expansion of Communist influence into challenged parts of the globe is a move against the writings of Karl Marx who argues that one problem of a Capitalist economy is that it forces the “barbarians or semi-barbarians” to be dependent upon the bourgeoise through the process of globalization and the expansion of trade and technology. One could argue that this argument can also be made upon the Soviet’s form of Communism that spread throughout the globe making many small countries that were successful in their Communist revolution become dependent upon the Soviet Union for help to stay afloat due to sanctions placed by the United States and its NATO partners; for example, Cuba under the Castro regime.

The Long Telegram sent by George Kennan following the end of the Second World War is an attempt to warn the United States and their allies of the coming ideological war that was to come between Capitalism, Socialism and Communism. This telegram suggested the use of containment as United States’ foreign policy to keep Communism limited to the Iron Curtain and away from United States’ regional interests and global interests. Kennan calls for a patient but strict policy with the Soviet Union and he states that “the foreign government in question should remain cool and collected and that its demands on Russian policy should be put forward in such a manner as to leave the way open for a compliance not too detrimental to Russian prestige.” Kennan recommends this policy because he believes that the Soviet Union will apply pressure against the Western world’s influence when a firm amount of counter-pressure is applied. The pressure must correspond with the shifts in Soviet policy, as well as being gentle enough to make sure the Soviets do not feel tactless and threatened. He understands that the Soviets are in no rush because according to the Manifesto of the Communist Party capitalism will inevitably bring the end upon itself; therefore there was no need to charge forward with the gospel of communism. Kennan refers to this as both a strength and a weakness of the Soviets because they would be able to wait out the capitalist allies while they hurtle to their demise, but it also leaves them open to being blocked by little resistance from NATO. This policy is not placed completely as recommended by Kennan and deception and force used by the United States military and intelligence brings it close to nuclear war with the Soviet Union and its allies. This can be seen in the Cuban Missile Crisis which is the closest that the U.S has ever come to a nuclear war and was a demonstration of the Cold War at its peak. Kennan’s theory of absolute quarantine of Communism makes sense as foreign policy for the United States; however during this era the world had a fear of the red menace which led to the unnecessary destruction of progress in poor “Communist” states that used a more socialist approach to taking care of their poor citizens. National security and national interests reigned during the Cold War and because of the interpretation of the Manifesto of the Communist Party as it relates to the Soviet Union leads to the use of containment for the United States’ foreign policy as suggested by George F. Kennan in the Long Telegram.