Lot 1239

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GEORGE F. KENNAN (1904 - 2005) American diplomat and historian. He was best known as an advocate of a policy of containment of Soviet expansion during the Cold War. Kennan joined the U.S. Embassy in Moscow as Chargé d'Affaires in July 1945. Although he was highly critical of the Soviet system, the mood within the U.S. State Department was friendship towards the Soviets, as the Soviets had been an important ally in the war against Nazi Germany. In February 1946, the U.S. Treasury asked the U.S. Embassy in Moscow why the Soviets were not supporting the newly created World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. In reply, Kennan wrote the 'Long Telegram' outlining his opinions and views of the Soviets; 'According to Kennan, the Soviets' view of the world came from a traditional 'Russian sense of insecurity...' It arrived in Washington on February 22, 1946. Among its most-remembered parts was that while Soviet power was 'impervious to the logic of reason', it was 'highly sensitive to the logic of force'. Offered here is a State Department numbered, contemporary 'COPY NO. 9 15 copies reproduced' of Kennan's 'Long Telegram', marked 'SECRET' on every page, no doubt issued at or about the same time Kennan's message was received at the State Department. The telegram, thousands of words in length, reads in very small part: '...USSR still lives in antagonistic 'capitalist encirclement' with which in the long run there can be no permanent peaceful coexistence...there will emerge two centers of world significance: a socialist center, drawing to itself the countries which tend toward socialism, and a capitalist center, drawing to itself the countries that incline toward capitalism. Battle between these two centers for command of world economy will decide fate of capitalism and of communism...Conflicts between capitalist states, though likewise fraught with danger for USSR, nevertheless hold out great possibilities for advancement of socialist cause...peaceful and mutually profitable coexistence of capitalist and socialist states is entirely possible...At bottom of Kremlin's neurotic view of world affairs is traditional and instinctive Russian sense of insecurity...Our first step must be to apprehend, and recognize for what it is, the nature of the movement with which we are dealing...World communism is like malignant parasite which feeds only on diseased tissue. This is point at which domestic and foreign policies meets Every courageous and incisive measure to solve internal problems of our own society, to improve self-confidence, discipline, morale and community spirit of our own people, is a diplomatic victory over Moscow...' Old staple holes at top, first page soiled. This telegram was discovered in the papers of prominent diplomat and career State Department official JOHN G. ERHARDT (1889-1951). Erhardt served as Consul in Hamburg and would later serve in London under Ambassador Joseph Kennedy. During the war, he was in a high-level State Department position in Washington, where he was involved in the planning of the surrender of Germany and occupation of Germany and Austria. After the war, he served as de facto Ambassador to Austria while Gen. Mark Clark led American occupation military forces. He would later be appointed Ambassador to South Africa. This is the only such copy of Kennan's telegram we have been able to locate, outside the original receiving copy.

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October 29, 2020 10:00 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

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