AMH2020: Comparative Analysis of Kennan and Novikov Telegrams

This assignment provides an analysis of two primary sources: telegrams written by George Kennan and Nikolai Novikov in 1946. The analysis focuses on their perspectives on the post-war relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union, particularly concerning the potential for conflict and the struggle for global power. Kennan's telegram addressed the Soviet outlook and US policy, while Novikov's telegram highlighted the dangers of US economic and military dominance. The assignment examines how the telegrams reflected differing viewpoints on the capitalist world and the USSR, and the potential for a Cold War. Both telegrams explore the differing foreign policies that existed before the war and the shift in power dynamics as the US emerged as a dominant force. The analysis highlights the central themes of the telegrams and their implications for understanding the origins of the Cold War.

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Analysis of two primary sources
This analysis is based on two closely related telegrams written by George Kennan and
Nikolai Novikov. The two sources focus on the soviet of the states. The first source is
Nikolai Novikov who was the Soviet ambassador in Washington (Novikov, 1991). He
drafted a telegram in the year 1946 addressing the issues of dangers associated with the
domination of the military and economic dominance by the USA worldwide. This was one of
the influential telegrams that attempted to give an interpretation regarding the foreign policy
of the USA. The main theme of this telegram was similar and associated closely with George
F. Kennan who was secretary of the state secret telegram which was written in the year 1946
to address the issues related to charge in terms of the Soviet Union. The major concern of the
two telegrams was to address the post cold war possible especially between the USA and the
rest of the world countries regarding gaining of the supper power on basis of economic
growth and military wise.
The telegram by Kennan written Moscow in the year 1946 was addressing the 5
questions of concern. The first question was on basic features as the outlook of the post-war
soviet, the second one was on outlook background of the post-war soviet, the third one was
on projection as per the practical policy on basis of official level, the fourth one was
unofficial level projection concern and the last one was based on the standpoint of the US
policy as connected to practical deductions. On the other hand, the telegram by Nikolai
drafted in the same year 1946 addressed the issues monopolistic of American capital. This
telegram was different from that of Kennan in that is focused on post-war world supremacy
by the USA.
Nevertheless, the two telegrams focused on the capitalist world in which strive for
world supremacy in terms of power and economic growth were at a high peak. As per the

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telegram by Kennan, the USSR was addressed as the alive antagonistic center of capitalism
encirclement which meant that no permanent peaceful coexistence (Kennan, 1946). This
reflected the struggle for the world supper power between the USA and other continents. On
the other hand, Kennan addressed the issue of the internal conflict as the capitalist
inevitability generation of the war (Kennan, 1946). This means the fruits of the war yield the
integral conflicts between the USA and other parts of the world. This was incident addressed
in the letter but all the same, the two telegrams were keen to address how the USA strived
and crushed almost its major competitors to resume the power.
Both telegrams reflected on how foreign policy in the USA differed from those
existed during the prewar era (Novikov, 1991). This was the period when the USA main
competitors would be highly crushed and weakened during the war as the USA resumed the
role of post powerful body. This was a major reason as to why the possibility of the cold war
concerning the economic and political power was high paramount between the USA and the
rest of the world countries.

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References
Kennan, G. (1946). The Long Telegram: The Charge of the Soviet Union (Kennan) to the
Secretary of State. telegram, Moscow, USSR, February, 22. Retrived from
https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu//coldwar/documents/episode-1/kennan.htm
Novikov, N. (1991). The Novikov Telegram Washington, September 27, 1946. Diplomatic
History, 15(4), 527-537. Retrived from
https://astro.temple.edu/~rimmerma/novikov_telegram.htm