Russia's Cold War
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From the October Revolution to the Fall of the Wall
Jonathan Haslam
The first history of the Cold War focusing on the Soviet dimension, based on previously inaccessible archives
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.
"Jonathan Haslam has produced the first comprehensive account of Soviet policy between the October Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall, using an astonishing array of original materials that take readers into the heart of decision-making in Moscow and its satellites."—Michael Burleigh, Sunday Telegraph
"Both learned and provocative, Jonathan Haslam's new book sheds new light on not only Russia's Cold War but also on America's. The deep research and strong arguments will stimulate debate for years to come."—Robert Jervis, Columbia University
"A brilliant and original contribution to the literature on the Cold War. Haslam combines deep research with sharp insight to provide an illuminating account of the Soviet side of that conflict."—David Holloway, Stanford University
"Jonathan Haslam pulls back the curtain to permit observations, many in considerable detail, of Soviet leaders' attitudes and actions during key episodes in the bipolar contest."—Charles Hill, author of Grand Strategies: Literature, Statecraft, and World Order
“….this is a welcome book. It is clear, well-written and interesting….This first-rate book will enjoy much praise….extremely impressive.”—Jeremy Black, RUSI Journal
Selected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2011 in the Central Eastern Europe category.
Publication Date: September 11, 2012