Policy of Containment

Definition

The policy of containment was a United States foreign policy doctrine adopted after World War II aimed at stopping the spread of Communism by creating strategic alliances or supporting states financially/militarily around the world.

Related terms

Cold War: A period between 1945-1991 marked by political tension primarily between US (and its allies) and Soviet Union(and its allies). This was where the policy containment was mainly applied.

Truman Doctrine: U.S. President Harry Truman's pledge to provide economic and military aid to countries threatened by communism or totalitarian ideology; part of containment strategy.

Marshall Plan: An American initiative passed in 1948 for foreign aid to Western Europe following World War II; another example how containment worked.