First laid out by George F. Kennan in 1947, Containment stated that communism needed to be contained and isolated, or it would spread to neighboring countries. The US's attempt to stop the spread of communism and "Russian expansive tendencies" through economic and military measures. This included the stationing of military forces in confrontation with the Soviet Union in places such as: Greece, Iran, Germany, Turkey, Korea, and Vietnam. The policy of containment also affected Latin American policy. The United States used the CIA to support anticommunist groups in many countries. Many of the U.S.-supported regimes were undemocratic and used brutal tactics to remain in power. Economic measures included long-term U.S. economic assistance (Marshall Aid).
