Henry A. Kissinger, perhaps one of the most powerful American diplomats of the twentieth century, observed that in his time, “[George F. Kennan] came as close to creating the diplomatic doctrine of his era as any diplomat in our history” (Kissinger, 1979: 135). It is interesting to note, however, Kissinger's assessment of the doctrine as a success in his time – not in all times, and perhaps not even in Kissinger's time. Despite the relative absence of academic consensus surrounding the body of thought that became Kennan's strategic canon, few could conceivably deny that Kennan had a profound impact on the exercise of American foreign policy during the Cold War. Kennan as architect of US foreign policy. Beginning with a discussion of the political environment within which foreign policy decisions were made, the essay continues with an assessment of Kennan's strengths—namely, his creation of an impartial, pragmatic, and evidence-based conception of national security interests – and its weaknesses – namely, the abuse this conception has suffered due to Kennan's failure to limit it. Finally, the essay concludes with an overall assessment of Kennan's performance suggesting that perhaps these weaknesses can best be attributed to the aforementioned environment in which Kennan operated. It should be noted that little discussion is given to analyzing Kennan's views and ideas, but rather, the emphasis is reduced to considering his role in the political process and the role of his ideas within it. The Historical Context of ContainmentAfter it became clear that the Allies would emerge victorious following the fall of Nazi Germany, American politicians and military personnel... at the center of the card... forever. Works Cited Freeland, R. M. (1989) The Truman Doctrine and the Origins of McCarthyism: Foreign Policy, Domestic Policy, and Homeland Security, 1946-48, New York: New York University Press. Gaddis, J.L. (2005) Containment Strategies: A Critical Assessment of American National Security Policy During the Cold War, Oxford: University of Oxford Press.Gellman, B. (1985) Contending with Kennan: Toward a Philosophy of American Power, Eastbourne : Praeger.Kennan, G.F. (1968) Memoirs, 1925-1950, London: Hutchinson.Kennan, G.F. (1973) Memoirs, 1950-1963, London: Hutchinson. Kissinger, H. (1979) White House Years, Boston: Little, Brown and Company. Russell, R.L. (1999) George F. Kennan's Strategic Thinking: The Making of an American Political Realist, London: Praeger. Wright, B.C. (1976) 'Mr. "X" and containment", Slavic Review, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 1-31.