The Strategic Thinkers And The U.S.National Security Strategy In The Cold War Era

This dissertation is an intellectual history of the interaction of American strategic thinkers and the national security strategy in the Cold War era.George Kennan,Paul Nitze,Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski were almost unrivalled in their breadth and depth of experience in the Cold War national security establishment of the United States.As this study demonstrates,they contributed to a profound shift in American strategic thinking that redefined U.S.national security policy at the time and even for the decades to come.The most important and influential phase of their career were during their involvement about the national security policy of U.S.at the Cold War.This paper also illustrates the evolution and development of their core strategic thinkings that produced the fundamental and enduring reorientation of American Cold War strategies.The Containment Strategy is the basic national security policy across the whole Cold War.George Kennan firstly put forward the theory of Containment at the very beginning of the Cold War.His thought benefits from his early life and former diplomat career.The Strategy of Containment provides the origin of Truman Doctrine.Paul Nitze who was the successor of George Kennan as the Director of the Department of State's Policy Planning Staff(PPS),developes and improves the Containment.During his tenure at the PPS from 1949 to 1953,Nitze was a key player at this critical juncture at the heart of strategic decision-making.He was the principal author of National Security Council 68(NSC 68),the most comprehensive and wide-ranging appraisal of American national security policy of the time.Nitze's thinking shaped by his perceptions of nuclear weapons and the Soviet Union.The Detente Strategy becomes the main national security at the 1970s.Henry Kissinger as the national security advisor and the Secretary of State at the Nixon and Ford Administrations,his contribution to the relaxation policy is very impressive.He initiated and advanced the Detente Strategy.The driving forces behind Kissinger's thinking come from the practition of balance of power politics from Europe.His strategic visions as they were by his particular combination of character and background.He warns that the solution to inhibit the confrontation between the U.S.and Soviet Union lies in seeking an agreement on common interests.The influence of Detente Strategy includes easing the rival and confrontational relations of the Soviet Union and U.S.,ending of the Vietnam War and normalization of US-China.Zbigniew Brzezinski is the key player of national security at the Carter Administration as the assistant to president in the affairs of national security.He forwarded the detente policy at the beginning of Carter period,but with the failure of detente,he turned to Geostrategy which laid the foundaton for his repuation for the several decades to come.His practice in geostrategy had great contribution to establish the diplomatic relations between China and United States.This thesis argues that strategic thinkers are important strategic asset in the course of the rising of great powers.China needs effective national security strategies to advance the peaceful rise.China's strategic thinkes must make contributions and undertake historic responsibilities at the course.