The Clifford-Elsey Report was a significant analysis prepared for President Harry S. Truman, designed to inform U.S. foreign policy regarding the Soviet Union. Prepared by two prominent White House advisors, Charles E. Bohlen and William Clayton, the report synthesized various intelligence assessments of Soviet post-war behavior and intentions. Destined to shape the future of American foreign policy, the 49-page report painted a grave picture of the Soviet threat, highlighting aggressive expansionism and totalitarian ideology. By delivering the report on September 24, 1946, the Truman administration received crucial insights at a time when the world was still grappling with the ramifications of World War II and the beginnings of the Cold War. The document underscored how the U.S. needed to be prepared for the potential of an adversarial Soviet stance as a defining aspect of international relations in the ensuing decades.

The Clifford-Elsey Report's receipt by President Truman marked a turning point, where previously lenient attitudes toward the Soviet Union hardened. It served as a precursor to the Truman Doctrine announced a few months later, which articulated a policy of containment aimed at preventing the spread of Soviet influence worldwide. As the report circulated among high-level officials, it significantly influenced U.S. strategies in Europe and Asia, setting the stage for a protracted ideological and military rivalry during the Cold War. U.S. policy would henceforth be dictated by a perceived need to counteract Soviet power, leading to various international interventions, alliances, and a vast military build-up, marking the onset of a bipolar world order.