In this long-awaited sequel to his acclaimed Russia's Road to the Cold War (1979), Vojtech Mastny offers a thorough history of the early years of the Cold War, drawing upon his extensive research in newly opened Soviet archives. Just as the earlier volume offered the definitive portrait of Joseph Stalin's foreign policy during World War II, The Cold War and Soviet Insecurity affords readers an equally superb account of Stalin's foreign policy during his last years. Combining important new data with the fascinating insights of one of our leading authorities on Soviet affairs, this book illuminates a crucial period in recent world history.
Thanks to the peaceful resolution of the Cold War, massive archives of Soviet material have become accessible to the serious historian. One of which is the author. He takes us into the Soviet Union and the heart of the Kremlin, in the early years of the Cold War, till Stalin's death. If you are conversant with Cold War from the American vantage (perhaps you lived through it?), then the book can be gripping reading. A parallel universe, from the Kremlin looking out and perceiving a hostile world. To be sure, given the searing Soviet experience during World War 2, a certain level of paranoia might be expected and justified. The events Mastny described, pulled from Soviet documents, outline a weird worldview. It was on this basis that Stalin acted as he did, during the Berlin blockade and the Korean War. American historians have at times criticised Truman and Eisenhower for some of their actions, based on these presidents' imperfect knowledge of world events. This book tells that the other side suffered from far worse distortions.
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