Ending the Cold War: Interpretations, Causation, and the Study of International Relations

Book Overview

Although in hindsight the end of the Cold War seems almost inevitable, almost no one saw it coming and there is little consensus over why it ended. A popular interpretation is that the Soviet Union was unable to compete in terms of power, especially in the area of high technology. Another interpretation gives primacy to the new ideas Gorbachev brought to the Kremlin and to the importance of leaders and domestic considerations. In this volume, prominent experts on Soviet affairs and the Cold War interrogate these competing interpretations in the context of five 'turning points' in the end of the Cold War process. Relying on new information gathered in oral history interviews and archival research, the authors draw into doubt triumphal interpretations that rely on a single variable like the superior power of the United States and call attention to the importance of how multiple factors combined and were sequenced historically. The volume closes with chapters drawing lessons from the end of the Cold War for both policy making and theory building.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1403963843
• ISBN13: 9781403963840
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

is it still unresolved to some analysts?

The reader gets a retrospective on the Cold War. Why it ended, and the salient turning points during this struggle. The most interesting section is at the start of the text, when the authors describe current Russian thinking. To some Russians, the Cold War was mostly initiated by the US, for hegemony. And that continuing US actions towards Russia reflect an ongoing attempt to hold down Russia. Some of these views might also be held by some Chinese, who worry about US hyperpower. It is a good reminder to the American reader that there are different world views held by others. Another interesting section dissects the events in eastern Europe in 1989-90, and the collapse of the Communist regimes. Gorbachev is of course the central figure in this drama. It is still a mystery to some why he did not take stronger measures, or ask the client Communist governments to apply more pressure. This would have plausibly delayed any collapse. But maybe nobody anticipated the events as they unfolded.