This support in terms of economy and political assistance can also be seen as a means of creating a strong European force that would balance the Soviets on the continent. This idea is though common to the balance of power advocated by the 1815 Vienna Congress, following the wars with Napoleon. (Guzzini, 1998) After the Second World War, indeed the U.S. needed a strong force to both balance and contain the U.S.S.R. And this idea was expressed by Kennan in his Telegram and by George Marshall in his speech presenting the Plan for the reconstruction of Europe. An element which is not common to realists is the reliance on institutions as a means for promoting stability. Kennan, in his proposal, suggested strengthening the emerging institutional framework available to the Europeans in order to contain the U.S.S.R. Despite the fact that it was not a traditional approach, he considered institutions to be a useful tool for achieving an underlining goal, that of eventually increasing the power of the states which remained in his view the single and most important actors in international affairs.

Globalization brought about a series of changes in the approaches presented by Kennan. On the one hand, there is no longer a clear distinction between different theoretical views such as realism, institutionalism, or constructivism. This is largely due to the changes that occurred in recent decades. Thus, the...

Also, a policy of containment as suggested in the 40s by Kennan would be difficult to establish due to the high degree of complex interdependence between states and due to the emerging global economy which would be affected by restrictive barriers imposed to certain countries. On the other hand, however, Kennan's suggestion of the use of institutions as a tool to promote economic recovery is nowadays common practice, seeing the immense influence international organizations and financial institutions have on the world.
Overall, taking into account Heywood's theoretical framework, George Kennan can be seen as a realist, in the light of the content of his "Long Telegram," and his subsequent article entitled "The origin of Soviet conduct." Still, globalization plays an essential role in shaping the international environment, an influence which makes certain considerations lose their relevance.

Bibliography

Guzzini, Stefano. Realism in international relations and international political economy: the continuing story of a death foretold. Routledge: London, 1998.

Heywood, Andrew. Key Concepts in Politics. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2000.

Kissinger, Henry. Diplomacy. London: Simon & Schuster, 1995.