Diplomatic Jeremiads

George F. Kennan holds an iconic standing among twentieth century American thinkers on international relations. The diplomat turned public intellectual played a key role in crafting policy during the pivotal early years of the Cold War by articulating the threat posed by the Soviet Union and framing the policy of containment as a response. His knowledge of Russia and Europe gave American leaders a language for discussing the challenge even when they took positions Kennan later deplored. A decades-long academic career following his retirement from the Foreign Service enabled him to reflect upon his practical experience of diplomacy. Kennan’s writing on Russian and European history, along with commentary on America’s role in the world as the Cold War passed through its endgame, conferred an authority. He became a realist voice on international affairs until his death in 2005 at age 101. A Pulitzer Prize winning biography by John Lewis Gaddis only enhanced Kennan’s posthumous reputation. Like many icons, however, Kennan has been more often invoked than understood. An expanded sixtieth anniversary edition of American Diplomacy provides a welcome opportunity to revisit his perspective.