The Long Telegram + Novikov Telegram Flashcards
What was the ‘Long Telegram’?
George Kennan, an American ambassador in Moscow, had lived and worked in the Soviet Union as a diplomat. He sent a telegram to the US detailing his beliefs on the Us-USSR relations. This was taken very seriously by the American government. As most telegrams are very short, and Kennan’s was more like a letter, it became known as the Long Telegram
What was the ‘Novikov Telegram’?
Nikolai Novikov was a Soviet Diplomat working in Washington. His telegram was to the government in Moscow and shows that the USSR thought equally poor of the western powers. He stated that the USA planned to use to use their economic and military power to dominate the world. He believed that after Roosevelt’s death, America no longer wished to co-operate with the Soviet Union and would support a war against them. This massively impacted the Soviet government.
What were the consequences of the Long Telegram?
The USA set out a policy of containing communism. From this point on, it was like they officially saw communism, and therefore the USSR, as agressive and something to be stood up against.
What were the consequences of the Novikov Telegram?
It further boosted the USSR’s desire to have a lot of influence and control over Eastern Europe.
If the USA was aggressive, which is what this telegram presented them as, then the USSR would need to protect itself against an aggressive USA.
