Episode Overview

Podcast: The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast
Episode: American Foreign Policy: The Containment of Communism (Lecture 6)
Date: October 1, 2025
Host(s): Jeremiah Regan, Juan Davalos
Guest Lecturer: Professor Anton

This episode explores the genesis and logic of America's strategy to confront the global spread of communism after World War II, focusing on "containment." Drawing from NSC 68, a pivotal U.S. national security document from 1950, the discussion traces how this approach shaped foreign policy, military structure, and international institutions, notably during crises like the Korean War. Professor Anton provides historical background and practical consequences of these policies, examining both their rationale and lasting implications.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Dawn of the Cold War and the Need for Strategy

• [00:19] Jeremiah Regan introduces the episode, explaining how WWII's alliances quickly fractured, with the Soviet Union emerging as America's key adversary.
  • Doctrinal debates after WWII: Should America "roll back" communism, practice isolationism, or "contain" Soviet expansion?
  • Containment becomes the dominant policy, manifesting through embargoes, the space race, proxy wars (Korea, Vietnam), and domestic militarization.

2. The Formulation and Content of NSC 68

• [02:53] Professor Anton describes NSC 68 (1950) as "the most important and famous American strategy document of all time"—though it was classified for 25 years.
  • Containment: The middle path between rollback (active military aggression) and acquiescence/isolationism (accepting Soviet gains).
  • NSC 68's key premise: Prevent Soviet expansion via "reasonable means, short of all-out war."
  • Notably drafted by Paul Nitze ("a prototype member of the deep state") and championed by Truman's administration.
• Policy Choices:
  • Rollback: Too risky due to unpredictable outcomes and domestic/international backlash.
  • Acquiescence/Isolation: Would jeopardize global freedom and American interests.
  • Containment: Endorsed as practical and moral, combining military readiness, economic aid, and alliances.

Quote:
“If we had to sum up that strategy in one word, the one word would be containment.”
— Professor Anton [02:56]

3. The Expansion of Communism and the Stakes

• [04:40] The Soviet Union installs loyal Communist governments across Eastern and Central Europe, prompting Western alarm.
• [06:25] The 1949 Communist victory in China is analyzed as a pivotal moment that reshapes perceptions of the global ideological battle.
  • The "loss of China" deeply unsettled American public opinion.

Quote:
“The cry in 1949 went up across the United States among elites and the general public alike: who lost China?”
— Professor Anton [07:36]

4. The Liberal International Order: Institutions and Ideals

• [12:00] Professor Anton catalogs the institutions underpinning the postwar order:
  • Bretton Woods (1944): Establishes dollar as world standard, sows seeds for World Bank/IMF.
  • United Nations (1945): Aspires to universal legitimacy, but hampered by realities of sovereign power.
  • GATT/World Trade Organization: Reduces trade barriers, encourages peace through commerce.
  • Coal and Steel Community (forerunner of EU): Integrates European resources.
  • NATO (1949): Hardened military alliance against Soviet aggression.
• Idealism vs. Reality: These institutions were designed for ongoing Allied harmony, but had to rapidly adapt to rivalry with the Soviets.

Quote:
“The United Nations is a kind of halfway institution… It’s not really a one-world government, but it kind of purports to be.”
— Professor Anton [13:35]

5. Case Study – The Korean War

• [15:50] The Korean War (1950–53) is explored as the first major test of the containment strategy.
  • North Korea invades South Korea, apparently encouraged by ambiguous U.S. signals (Dean Acheson's "defensive perimeter" speech).
  • The U.S. leads a counteroffensive through the United Nations—a unique case where the Soviet veto is missing (USSR boycotts Security Council).
  • General Douglas MacArthur’s campaign turns the war but leads to conflict with President Truman over escalation; MacArthur is ultimately fired.
  • The war ends in a stalemate and armistice, reinforcing the logic (and limitations) of containment. MacArthur is hailed as a hero at home.

Quote:
“In war there is no substitute for victory.”
— General Douglas MacArthur, cited by Professor Anton [25:45]

6. The National Security State: Institutional Change

• [27:54] Professor Anton explains the transformation of U.S. defense and intelligence structure:
  • National Security Act of 1947: Creates the Department of Defense (unifying Army, Navy, and new Air Force), National Security Council, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the CIA (first peacetime civilian intelligence agency).
  • Responses to bureaucratic rivalry (over budgets, strategy, etc.) lead to greater centralization and coordination.

Quote:
“The United States came out of the war in a very advantageous position, commanding literally 50% of global GDP. …willing to spend big on defense.”
— Professor Anton [32:10]

7. Societal Shifts and Democratic Consent

• [33:40] NSC 68 also marks a dramatic shift in domestic expectations:
  • Ongoing peacetime draft, high military spending, permanent global engagement, foreign aid, and an unprecedented intelligence presence—even at the expense of cherished civil liberties.
  • American popular support hinges on belief in the threat posed by the Soviet Union.
  • Open question: Did the ends justify the departures from traditional American foreign policy and constitutional norms?

Quote:
“If you think that threat is overstated… then you would have a hard time accepting the measures being advocated… Everything hinges on that.”
— Professor Anton [34:50]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It is considered the most important and famous American strategy document of all time.”
  — Professor Anton on NSC 68 [02:54]

• “Present at the Creation is extremely informative, extremely well written... the sort of urbane, witty, knowledgeable, yes, a bit superior and a bit arrogant, but… the type of person you actually want running large agencies of your government.”
  — Professor Anton on Dean Acheson’s memoir [11:12]

• “There are those who would say, well, they [the French] lost in 1940, and so they can’t be considered among the victors. On the other hand, you could say they were a victim and not an aggressor state...”
  — Professor Anton [20:49]

• “We are going to hold you where you are.”
  — Professor Anton, defining containment’s core [27:24]

• “The question is, were they [these measures] a warranted departure?… I think it’s still an open question what the Founders would have said...”
  — Professor Anton [35:40]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:19: Framing the containment debate post-WWII
• 02:53: Professor Anton introduces NSC 68 and its logic
• 06:25: The Communist revolution in China and global implications
• 12:00: Bretton Woods, United Nations, and liberal international order established
• 15:50: Korean War case study—U.S. response, UN involvement, MacArthur controversy
• 27:54: National Security Act of 1947 and reorganization of defense infrastructure
• 33:40: Peacetime societal changes and the challenge to traditional American foreign policy
• 34:50: The critical dependency on threat perception for justifying policies

Episode Tone and Style

The episode is scholarly yet accessible, blending clear explanations, historical anecdotes, and thoughtful analysis. Professor Anton offers nuanced takes—praising, critiquing, and contextualizing the decisions and people involved, while openly acknowledging complexity and debate.

Conclusion

This lecture delivers a foundational understanding of how the United States settled into its Cold War posture, why containment became the chosen strategy, and what it required from the nation institutionally and culturally. Through key examples and sharp historical detail, listeners gain insight into the origins and consequences of American foreign policies that would define an era—and still shape international relations today.