75th Anniversary of "The Long Telegram"- Online Event
Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
Online
Tuesday, February 23, 2021 - 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. CDT
75 years ago, George Kennan, an American diplomat living in Moscow, sent an 8,000-word telegram to President Truman’s State Department. In it, Kennan provided U.S. policy recommendations based on his analysis of the Soviets. The “problem of how to cope with [them],” he argued, “is undoubtedly the greatest task our diplomacy has ever faced and probably the greatest it will ever have to face.”
Today, “The Long Telegram,” as it has come to be known, can be found on short lists of foundational U.S. documents, alongside the Declaration of Independence, The Federalist Papers and George Washington’s Farewell Address.
What influence did this 17-page cable have in 1946? And how does it continue to inform U.S. policy today?
Join us for an illuminating discussion with Evan Thomas, co-author of The Wise Men, the classic account of the American statesmen who rebuilt the world after the catastrophe of World War II.
With a captivating blend of personal biography and historic drama, Thomas introduces us to a towering intellect that helped bring order to a world in chaos, a legacy that dominates American policy to this day.
Evan Thomas is a New York Times best-selling author and former writer, correspondent, and editor at Time and Newsweek. Winner of the prestigious National Magazine Award, he also has appeared numerous times as a guest on Meet the Press, The Colbert Report, and PBS’s Charlie Rose.
All events listed in the calendar are free unless noted.