Russia's Cold War: From the October Revolution to the Fall of the Wall - Hardcover

Jonathan Haslam

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0300159978 ISBN 13: 9780300159974

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2011

Synopsis

The phrase "Cold War" was coined by George Orwell in 1945 to describe the impact of the atomic bomb on world politics: "We may be heading not for a general breakdown but for an epoch as horribly stable as the slave empires of antiquity." The Soviet Union, he wrote, was "at once unconquerable and in a permanent state of 'cold war' with its neighbors." But as a leading historian of Soviet foreign policy, Jonathan Haslam, makes clear in this groundbreaking book, the epoch was anything but stable, with constant wars, near-wars, and political upheavals on both sides. Whereas the Western perspective on the Cold War has been well documented by journalists and historians, the Soviet side has remained for the most part shrouded in secrecy-until now. Drawing on a vast range of recently released archives in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, and Eastern Europe, Russia's Cold War offers a thorough and fascinating analysis of East-West relations from 1917 to 1989. Far more than merely a straightforward history of the Cold War, this book presents the first account of politics and decision making at the highest levels of Soviet power: how Soviet leaders saw political and military events, what they were trying to accomplish, their miscalculations, and the ways they took advantage of Western ignorance. Russia's Cold War fills a significant gap in our understanding of the most important geopolitical rivalry of the twentieth century.

About this title

Review:

"[C]omprehensive and erudite ... Haslam has written an excellent book, one that assumes an important place in the historiography of the Cold War."-Norman M. Naimark, The Russian Review -- Norman M. Naimark The Russian Review "A brilliant survey and analysis of the Cold War ... With verve, clarity, logic and access to the rich archives of Russia, Europe, and the US, [Haslam] has produced a definitive study that will stand for years to come."-D.J. Dunn, Choice -- D.J. Dunn Choice Selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2011 in the Central Eastern Europe category. -- Choice Outstanding Academic Title Choice "[A]n invaluable analysis of the views and circumstances that created and propelled the Cold War... for the serious student of international relations, Haslam's book provides the most judicious, thoroughly documented synthesis yet produced in the post-Cold War era."-Kathryn Weathersby, Political Science Quarterly -- Kathryn Weathersby Political Science Quarterly "Every historian should read this book" - Helen Hundly, Wichita State University -- Helen S Hundley The Historian "This is a very important book."-BBC History Magazine BBC History Magazine

About the Author:

Jonathan Haslam is professor of the history of international relations at the University of Cambridge, fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and a fellow of the British Academy.

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0300159978
• ISBN 13: 9780300159974
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 512