The Cold War: A Post–Cold War History

The Cold War: A Post–Cold War History offers an authoritative and accessible introduction to the history and enduring legacy of the Cold War, charting the evolution of U.S.–Soviet relations from the end of World War II through 1990. The thoroughly revised third edition of this landmark texthas been fully updated to incorporate new scholarship on such topics as the Vietnam War and President Reagan s policies toward the Soviet Union.

In addition to delineating  the history of the Cold War,  Ralph Levering argues that  the success of Western democratic capitalism during the Cold War laid the groundwork for the economic globalization and political democratization that are paramount in  the twenty–first century. With extended coverage of the Korean and Vietnam Wars as well as a thorough examination of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the new edition of The Cold War: A Post–Cold War History will continue to serve as an essential guide to this pivotal period in global history.

Preface

PROLOGUE: Uneasy Allies, 1941 1945

Counterparts: Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin

CHAPTER ONE: Downward Spiral During the Truman–Stalin Years, 1945 1953

Issues in the Emerging Cold War

Images and Domestic Politics Harm Relations

Counterparts: George Kennan and Vladmir Novikov

Containment and Countercontainment, 1947 1949

The Most Dangerous Phase, 1950 1952

Conclusion

CHAPTER TWO: The Institutionalized Cold War, 1953 1962

The Cold War at Home

A Modest Improvement in East–West Relations, 1953 1955

The Second Dangerous Phase, 1956 1962

Counterparts: J. William Fulbright and Barry Goldwater

Showdown: The Cuban Missile Crisis

Conclusion

CHAPTER THREE: The Shift Toward Relative Détente, 1963 1972

An Improved Atmosphere in 1963

Vietnam at Center Stage, 1964 1968

Toward a New Balance of Power, 1969 1972

Counterparts: Daniel Ellsberg and Henry Kissinger

Conclusion

CHAPTER FOUR: The Roller–Coaster Years, 1973 1984

Détente Bogs Down, 1973 1976

Carter Rides the Roller Coaster, 1977 1980

Reagan Challenges the Cold War Status Quo, 1981 1984

Counterparts: Jeane Kirkpatrick and Christopher Dodd

Seeking Improved U.S.–Soviet Relations, 1983–1984

Conclusion

EPILOGUE: The Cold War Ends, 1985 1991

Counterparts: Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan

Bibliographical Essay

Index

Ralph Levering is Emeritus Professor of History at Davidson College. He is the author or co–author of nine books,, including Debating the Origins of the Cold War: American and Russian Perspectives (2002) and The Kennedy Crises: The Press, the Presidency, and Foreign Policy (1983).