Book Review: The Final Act: The Helsinki Accords and the Transformation of the Cold War (original) (raw)
The “Helsinki Final Act” and its influence on the decline of the Soviet Empire.
"FaTT", Forum of Foreign Policy Think Tanks; Diplomatic Academy of Vienna; , 2019
In this research paper, the backgrounds of the creation of the “Helsinki Final Act” and its influence on the dissolution of the Soviet Empire will be examined. With the conclusion of the Helsinki Accords in 1975, the dissident movement in the Soviet Union began to organize itself and to grow. This movement challenged the totalitarian Soviet regimes and left a deep impact on the civil society inside the Soviet Union itself. However, in 1975 the Helsinki Final Act was seen by many observers as a “Western defeat” and a Soviet diplomatic victory, since Leonid Brezhnev achieved the formal recognition of the Soviet influence sphere throughout Eastern Europe by the West. This initial “misconception” shall also be analysed in this paper.
Commissioned by Seth Offenbach (Bronx Community College, The City University of New York) As the title of this short edited volume indicates, the three decades since the Cold War ended have provided opportunities for scholars to examine new perspectives on transformations that may or may not have been-as the subtitle asks-unexpected. The publication of this volume suggests that the historiography of the end of the Cold War has advanced beyond stale debates over "win-
LSE EUROPP blog, 2015
The Ukraine crisis dramatically provided an opportunity for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to demonstrate its continued relevance to European security, forty years after the signing of the so called ‘Helsinki Final Act’ in 1975, which served as the foundation for the establishment of the OSCE. Martin D. Brown and Angela Romano provide an overview of the significance of the Final Act, its original aims and how its contents shaped future security developments up to the present day.
Sources, Methods, and Competing Perspectives on the End of the Cold War
Diplomatic History, 1997
The facts. .. are like fish swimming about in a vast and sometimes inaccessible ocean.. .. What the historian catches will depend partly on chance, but mainly on what part of the ocean he chooses to fish in and what tackle he chooses to use.-E. H. Carr It goes without saying that a decade of glasnost has been a boon to scholarship on Soviet politics and history, including diplomatic history. Although archival revelations have not, to date, supported any radically new interpretations of Soviet foreign policy, they have served to clarify important issues and strengthen one or another long-standing argument on the causes or consequences of the Cold War. Moreover, new documentary sources have contributed much to works that shed valuable light on precisely how the "Kremlin's Cold War" was waged. But the archival windfall brings potential pitfalls. And, as Carr's dictum serves to remind us, one of these is overreliance on the new sources, a temptation to view Politburo, Central Committee, or Foreign Ministry records as definitive in and of themselves. The temptation is understandable given that they offer access to what seems most important: the inner councils of a highly centralized, dictatorial system. But herein a danger lies, for so centralized and dictatorial was the Soviet system-fully autocratic under Josef Stalin-that the decision-making locus was not the Central Committee or Politburo, but Stalin's own mind. Also complicating the historian's task were Stalin's aversion to records of his deliberations and his pains to deflect responsibility and depict authority as lying elsewhere. Thus, the "black box" of early Cold War decision
The Cold War: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection., 2020
The Cold War superpower face-off between the Soviet Union and the United States dominated international affairs in the second half of the 20th century and still reverberates around the world today. This comprehensive and insightful multi-volume set provides authoritative entries on all aspects of this world-changing event, including wars, new military technologies, diplomatic initiatives, espionage activities, important individuals and organizations, economic developments, societal and cultural events, and more. This expansive coverage provides readers with the necessary context to understand the many facets of this complex conflict. The work begins with a preface and introduction and then offers illuminating introductory essays on the origins and course of the Cold War, which are followed by some 1,500 entries on key individuals, wars, battles, weapons systems, diplomacy, politics, economics, and art and culture. Each entry has cross-references and a list of books for further reading. The text includes more than 100 key primary source documents, a detailed chronology, a glossary, and a selective bibliography. Numerous illustrations and maps are inset throughout to provide additional context to the material. FEATURES Includes more than 1,500 entries covering all facets of the Cold War from its origins to its aftermath, including all political, diplomatic, military, social, economic, and cultural aspects Incorporates the scholarship of more than 200 internationally recognized contributors from around the world, many writing about events and issues from the perspective of their country of origin Offers more than 100 original documents—a collection that draws heavily on material from archives in China, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union Provides hundreds of powerful images and dozens of informative maps detailing specific military conflicts and movements of various groups Includes a detailed chronology of important events that occurred before, during, and after the Cold War
Bibliography of the New Cold War History
Bibliography of New Cold War History, 2017
This bibliography attempts to present the publications on the history of the Cold War published after 1989, the beginning of the „archival revolution” in the former Soviet bloc countries. While this first edition is still far from complete, it collects a huge number of books, articles and book chapters on the topic and it is the most extensive such bibliography so far, almost 600 pages in length. An enlarged and updated edition will be completed in 2018.
Articles: [“Churchill, Winston (1874-1965), 31-34; (with Christopher John Bright), “Committee on the Present Danger,” 39-40; “Cuban Missile Crisis,” 48-52; “Dulles, John Foster (1888-1959),” 56-59; “Eisenhower, Dwight David (1890-1969),” 61-64; “Kennan, George Frost (1904-2005),” 99-101; “Kissinger, Henry Alfred (1923-),” 107-108; “Nixon, Richard Milhous (1913-1994),” 151-153; “Reagan, Ronald Wilson (1911-2004),” 184-187; “United Nations,” 222-228.] The impact of the Cold War is still being felt around the world today. This insightful single-volume reference captures the events and personalities of the era, while also inspiring critical thinking about this still-controversial period. Cold War: The Essential Reference Guide is intended to introduce students to the tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States that dominated international affairs in the second half of the 20th century. A comprehensive overview essay, plus separate essays on the causes and consequences of the conflict, will provide readers with the necessary context to understand the many facets of this complex era. The guide's expert contributors cover all of the influential people and pivotal events of the period, encompassing the United States, the Soviet Union, Europe, Southeast Asia, China, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa from political, military, and cultural perspectives. Reference entries offer valuable insight into the leaders and conflicts that defined the Cold War, while other essays promote critical thinking about controversial and significant Cold War topics, including whether Ronald Reagan was responsible for ending the Cold War, the impact of Sputnik on the Cold War, and the significance of the Prague Spring. Features •Several analytical essays by prominent historians, plus 85 additional A–Z reference entries about conflicts, incidents, leaders, and issues •35 examples of relevant primary source documents, including speeches, treaties, policy statements, and letters, such as the Marshall Plan and Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech •A detailed chronology of important events that occurred before, during, and after the Cold War •Numerous maps and images of key leaders and events •A comprehensive bibliography of print resources Highlights •Provides readers with a look inside the Cold War, pinpointing the main causes and consequences of this long-running conflict •Analyzes controversial Cold War topics that still generate widespread debate today to inspire critical thinking among readers •Supplements entries with a broad overview to help readers grasp the far-reaching implications of this worldwide conflict •Discusses key leaders and events in a scholarly, yet accessible manner
International Law and the Cold War (edited with Matthew Craven and Gerry Simpson) (CUP, 2019)
International law and the Cold War, 2019
International Law and the Cold War is the first book to examine the relationship between the Cold War and International Law. The authors adopt a variety of creative approaches – in relation to events and fields such as nuclear war, environmental protection, the Suez crisis and the Lumumba assassination – in order to demonstrate the many ways in which international law acted upon the Cold War and in turn show how contemporary international law is an inheritance of the Cold War. Their innovative research traces the connections between the Cold War and contemporary legal constructions of the nation-state, the environment, the third world and the refugee; and between law, technology, science, history, literature, art and politics.